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Disputed Tower mural gets reprieve

Mural controversy, vandalism spur soul-searching about whether to paint over it

Published online on Friday, Oct. 23, 2009

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A controversial mural on the wall of a Tower District thrift store is getting at least a temporary reprieve.

Officials at The Well Community Church, which sponsors the Neighborhood Thrift store at Olive and Wilson avenues, planned to have the mural painted over Saturday after neighbors objected to some of the imagery portrayed.

But Tim Goetz, The Well's executive pastor, backed off that position Saturday afternoon. "We don't want to make a rash decision," he said.

Eight community artists created the mural this month on the Wilson Avenue side of the store. Dozens of people gathered there Saturday to support the artists -- and express disappointment over removal plans.

Overnight, the artists had made some alterations. Originally, for example, the mural had an image of a woman with water flowing from her mouth. By Saturday morning, her mouth had a cover painted over it. Water was painted flowing from her chest "like she's pouring out her heart," said Dominique Ovalle, one of the artists.

Others added their own touches to the scene. Sometime in the night, a passerby painted on the nearby sidewalk and put up a small sign on the curb that reads, "Don't kill art."

The Rev. Walt Perry, retired director of Fresno Metro Ministry, said the mural "brings life, color and spirit to the neighborhood ... instead of all the drabness."

"For me," Perry said, "to paint over this mural would be immoral."

Goetz said he received phone calls and e-mails from people concerned about painting over the mural.

"We love the mural and we like art, but more important, we just want to run a thrift store and employ people," Goetz said. "We're not willing to jeopardize that, no matter how many people e-mail me."

Goetz said the mural will remain in place for at least a week.

"We'd just like things to calm down a little bit and try to find a way to satisfy the neighbors and the community," he said.

Goetz said one of the thrift store managers gave a go-ahead to the muralists without a firm grasp of what they would portray.

"There was not enough due diligence done as far as boundaries set for the mural, not much advice asked for on what would be appropriate," Goetz said.

When several neighbors complained about the mural -- and after vandals splattered blue paint on it Friday -- officials initially decided to resolve the controversy by painting over the whole thing.

"It feels like we found ourselves in a lose-lose situation, by where we have to choose between some neighbors or the greater Tower community," Goetz said.

Joyce Aiken, a Fresno Arts Council consultant to the city and Fresno County who spent Saturday at the mural, said she hopes it stays. But she's concerned that residents living nearby weren't consulted at the beginning.

Aiken said the Fresno Arts Council has tried for years to craft a policy for public-art projects that brings building owners, artists and neighbors together ahead of time -- a policy she believes would have prevented this mural rhubarb.

"Most artists don't want to be confined by rules and regulations," Aiken said. "But in public art, that's part of what's needed. ... I think if this design and the story behind it had been presented to neighbors, they would have been more receptive to it."