Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Art topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Dispute over nude sculpture in Mulberry Plaza draws public comment, arts board to decide
Summary
Multiple Fruita residents told council they find a recently installed statue in Mulberry Plaza indecent and said it risks economic harm to downtown businesses. The Arts and Culture Board will meet to decide whether to modify, relocate or remove the sculpture; council and staff discussed improving board processes and communications.
A sculpture placed in Mulberry Plaza that some residents describe as depicting exposed female genitalia prompted repeated public comment, sharp exchanges on social media and a city-led review of the Arts and Culture Board—s project-selection process.
At the meeting, several speakers asked the council and staff to remove or relocate the piece. Jason Hair told the council the sculpture "openly depicts exposed genitalia" and argued it violated community decency standards and state law; he cited what he described as Colorado criminal statutes prohibiting public indecent exposure and a municipal code that disallows appearing in public "in a state of undress" that exposes genitals or buttocks. Another commenter, Stephanie Tartaglia, cited the U.S. Supreme Court's Roth (1957) and Miller (1973) tests on obscenity during her public comment and urged council oversight.
Residents also raised potential economic impacts to businesses near the installation and questioned whether the Arts and Culture Board had appropriate oversight and used representative images during its review process. Several residents urged civil conversation: a speaker who identified himself as Thomas Wells encouraged community dialogue and said a silent group may support the artwork.
The nut graf: Councilors stressed that the Arts and Culture Board is a volunteer, citizen-led body and said the board will meet in a public session to decide the sculpture—s fate. Staff and council asked the board to return with lessons learned about selection, presentation and communications.
Council and staff outlined three options the board told the public it would consider: modify the sculpture, relocate it, or remove it. The council asked staff to ensure the board's meeting is recorded and suggested the board provide a post-decision summary of lessons learned and any recommended changes to the selection process. Parks and Recreation Director Mark Mancuso said the images presented to the selection committee did not display the same level of detail that appears on site, a factor several councilors said contributed to misunderstanding.
Ending: The Arts and Culture Board will meet the next day at 5:30 p.m. at the Public Works Building to make a decision. Council members said they expect a public record of that meeting and asked the board and staff to prepare a summary of the process and any recommended changes so the city and other volunteer boards can learn from the episode.
