Highbrow

Christo's Arkansas River Project Hits Opposition

Artist wants to hang fabric over Arkansas river.

If draping sheets of silver fabric over a 42-mile stretch of the Arkansas River sounds like a logistical nightmare, it's because it is. But iconic Belgian artist Christo, long famous for such stunts (he and his late wife Jeanne-Claude were behind The Gates, the project that unfurled orange banners across Central Park in 2005), is determined to do just that for his latest project—and he's coming up against some strong opposition in the small Colorado town that would host the installation. Christo's detractors call him an eco-terrorist, and a group called Rags Over the Arkansas River is fighting his idea. Supporters, on the other hand, argue that his work would bring in important global tourism money that would help the economy. Christo, 75, has already spent $7 million and 18 years putting together the plan, but could be thwarted by locals who say that suspending fabric over the Arkansas is akin to "hanging pornography in a church."