In Carpenter's theory, public art does more than just beautify an area. Rather, Carpenter hopes the hanging sculpture will serve as a reminder to future generations of the goals and ideals under which the new Carlson building was built. As for the artist's take-home salary, Kayim said public artists rarely get little more than the personal satisfaction of public exposure to their art. Most artists of public pieces get about 10 percent of the total commission, she said. Although the economic investment into public art is easily quantified, the return on that investment is a little more sketchy.
Benefits tend to depend on personal opinions, such as aesthetic value.
In a conflict between aesthetics and economics, opponents of public art are hard-pressed to choose the former. Carpenter countered by saying that if public art isn't worth funding, then neither are many other things, like stylistic architecture. Sara Piekutowski, a sophomore in finance, agreed with Carpenter, albeit with a less serious tone. As she wrote in a journal, the glass and steel sculpture named after its own geometric shape loomed above her, sparkling violets diluted with natural sunlight from outside.