Free Republic

The sculpture is of a young, distraught boy standing atop a red tower with a melting shark in his arms, a visual warning of rising sea levels and the destruction they could wreak. But for some residents on the southern edge of Vancouver's False Creek, the proposed 7.8-metre-tall sculpture, to be installed temporarily amid manicured lawns and waterfront residences, is a blemish. "Do I think the art is suitable for this location? No," said Maggie Rayner, a resident of a neighbouring building, while strolling past the site Sunday afternoon. "I don't think it's appropriate, the scale for the space." Those...

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale/2018/08/19/kickstarter-campaign-seeks-john-mccain-mural-old-town-scottsdale/1034390002/

Offended by a depiction of the Prophet Muhammad etched in marble inside the U.S. Supreme Court chamber, a coalition of Muslim organizations is quietly pushing to have the artwork sandblasted into propriety. A petition signed by 16 groups across the country has asked that the larger-than-life frieze of great lawgivers be altered "in the spirit of religious tolerance and pluralism" because Islamic tradition discourages artistic renderings of people, and showing the face of Muhammad is considered particularly offensive. The Supreme Court refused to comment publicly on the controversy, but coalition spokesman Nihad Awad said there already has been one "fruitful"...

We've looked at some abandoned Bulgarian Socialist architecture before, but never like this. This winter, photographer Timothy Allen braved snowstorms and horrific cold to shoot the UFO-like Buzludzha monument in the Bulgarian Balkans. The resulting pictures look like the lost Communist equivalent of Echo Base. Allen traveled 250 kilometers outside of Sofia to get these incredible photos. The snow picked up during his shoot, and he even took a harrowing -25°C hang-gliding expedition to grab some aerial shots. Explains Allen of the building's history: Designed by architect Guéorguy Stoilov, more than 6000 workers were involved in its 7 year construction...

Chicano Park gets makeover SAN DIEGO— Artists restore cultural paintings in Chicano Park. “As a young artist I remember coming to San Diego and thinking ‘gosh I wish I could have a mural up at Chicano park,’” painter Mario Chacon said. The bright art pieces have brought people to Chicano Park since the 1970’s, but time has taken it’s toll. Thanks to a $1.6 million grant from the federal government, 18 of the murals are being restored. The artists working on the restoration said each painting has significant symbolism. “What was placed at the top of the mural was a...

Mural Ignites Debate on Race, Censorship in Arizona (June 5) -- An Arizona school mural designed to promote environmentally friendly transportation has ignited a debate about race and censorship of the arts. Officials at Miller Valley Elementary School in Prescott, Ariz., asked the painters of the mural to lighten the skin of children depicted after a city councilman denounced its prominent portrayal of ethnic minorities. Following protests, the principal apologized today for making the request. "Miller Valley made a mistake when we asked them to lighten the mural. We made a mistake," said Principal Jeff Lane. The mural shows children...

BEND OVER ATLANTA OK .. here's the way it works: Steve learns to weld. Steve would rather be an artist than working in a machine shop Steve obtains some scrap metal and starts welding it together in odd shapes which he declares to be art. Steve can't find anyone who will voluntarily pay for the piles of scrap metal he has welded together. Steve changes his name to Stephano and drops his last name. Still nobody will buy Stephano's art, though there is one Buckhead matron who has taken a rather prurient interest in some of Stephan's other talents. The...

The Portland City Council will have to ignore the recommendation of citizen advisers if it wants to accept a controversial gift of bronze statues from Portland Sea Dogs owner Daniel Burke. The Public Art Committee, an advisory group appointed by the council, voted 6-1 Wednesday to recommend that the council reject the statues, which depict a traditional family of four going to a baseball game. The vote came after Burke's attorney said no changes will be made to the sculptures. The statues generated heated public debate during the last week as issues of government intervention and family diversity clashed with...

(03-30) 13:50 PST Edinburgh, Ind. (AP) -- The Venus de Milo had better wear a top and Michelangelo's David should put on some pants if they're going to be seen at a yard art business. Bartholomew County officials told the business near Interstate 65 that it must move cement copies of the classical statues — and about 10 others — out of public view because they are obscene under Indiana law. "It's not fair to point out our business, and personally, I don't find them offensive," Ginger Streeval, a co-owner of White River Truck Repair and Yard Art, told the...

Civic group says nuts to 'Peanuts' Feels two bronzes mar Rice Park's character BY KARL J. KARLSON Pioneer Press A group concerned about the appearance of downtown St. Paul is asking the City Council to find a new home for bronze statues of "Peanuts" characters Peppermint Patty and Marcie that were installed in Rice Park in September. The Ross Group, an 11-member women's organization that has been involved for about a dozen years in downtown beautification efforts, claims the statues were installed with little or no public input and are not in keeping with the historic nature and character of...

The artist who created the now-infamous Livermore library mosaic has had another change of heart and now says she will correct the artwork's spelling errors after all. Artist Maria Alquilar of Miami, who late last week said she would not return to fix the mistakes after national publicity resulted in hate mail and threats to her safety, said Wednesday that Assistant City Manager Jim Piper has persuaded her to rethink the situation. "He convinced me the easiest way to lay the matter to rest is to correct it," Alquilar said. "I really want people to see the work's meaning so...