Christo 'Over The River' Project: Colorado Approves 2 Leases (VIDEO)

DENVER — The Colorado State Land Board has approved two leases for the artist Christo's proposed Over the River project, which would temporarily suspend huge fabric panels over the Arkansas River.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is expected to decide this fall on a permit for Christo's proposal. But its preferred alternative, released this summer, sticks closely to the proposal by Christo and his late wife to suspend 5.9 miles worth of fabric over parts of the river.

The State Land Board said Friday it approved a five-year, 7.7-acre lease to Christo's team so the project could be built, shown and removed. It approved a 10-year, 130-acre lease with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to create a corridor and habitat for affected bighorn sheep.

The leases will generate roughly $26,000 for schools.

Watch our interview with Christo about the Over the River project:

Video produced by HuffPost's Hunter Stuart.

Comments

[Peace Walker]

07:47 AM on 10/12/2011

Christo, your time has come and gone. You were interesting, innovative, provocative and statement-making -- never moreso than when your work was accessible to the average person such as the Central Park project.

However, this is the wrong economy, wrong era of fisical, governmental, and environmental crisis to do this project.

Additionally, it is not as artistically inspired as many of the rest of your projects.

Wrong project, wrong time.

$26,000 for education? That's ALL??

[oceanye]

02:24 PM on 10/10/2011

Two questions; WHY is this being done, and HOW is it in ANY Cultural!??

Yeah - and I watched the video too after I read about it. Still don't UNDERSTAND???

[maxfax]

07:02 PM on 10/09/2011

Here's the answer to our infrastructure issues; if you can walk on it, maybe he should install it in Louisville instead of repairing their bridges.

[FDRbyGodDemocrat]

09:16 PM on 10/08/2011

Too bad it's not farther downstream. It might soak up some of the crap we're dumping into it as it flows through Tulsa.

[rda1911a1]

02:00 PM on 10/08/2011

what about the trout? Are they to be denied the view of the sun for the sake of human vanity?

[NyJimbo]

11:21 AM on 10/08/2011

Sure, when I do it they call it "hanging your laundry out to dry", when this Christo fella does it they call it art.

[invirginia]

08:23 AM on 10/12/2011

Your laundry would be probably be more interesting for most viewers.