HomeMy WebLinkAbout1/21/2020 Item 15, Foote
Tonikian, Victoria
From:MFoote <mjf.805@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, PM
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Amendment to Public Art Policy
Hello Council Members,
Thank you for taking on this issue and allowing space for open dialogue about public art. This is a conversation worth
having, and I hope you are paying attention to the voices you are including and which voices aren’t being heard. I
understand the strong reactions to a ban, especially when it comes to art in community spaces, however I think we’ve
come to a point in our society where it is important to stop and reflect on who we put on a pedestal and why.
What is being decided will define which images occupy our most visible spaces and which messages will endure to the
next generation. What we display in these spaces says as much about the community that we are as it does about the
community that we want to be. If we want to be more inclusive and promote the diversity of our town then we will need
to change how approach this and who is given a platform.
I advocate for a decision that creates a path for more public art while seeking to promote art and ideas above individual
accomplishments. Displays of people we admire might resonate in this moment but the people that truly inspire us don't
need monuments to live on.
Thank you,
-Michael Foote
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