City commissioners ban most new murals downtown

Most new murals are now banned from the historic district, even though an artist whose painting touched off a controversy said his work was misunderstood.

City commissioners voted 4-1 to essentially ban new outdoor paintings from historic downtown.

Commissioner Mike Sparkman, who advocated the law, said he was alarmed over the recent mural that appeared to show a male sex organ that was painted on a wall on an antique store near the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce. The mural, a rendition similar to the Norman Rockwell "April Fools" piece, has since been altered, and one of the artists who created it maintains critics were wrong about its content.

Prior to the Oct. 12 vote, Jerry Lofstrom, the owner of the Whistle Stop Cafe, 102 N. Collins St., made a presentation to the commission regarding his recent visit to Lake Placid, which has extensive murals in its downtown area. Lofstrom is having a historic mural painted on the south wall of his restaurant, facing S. Collins Street that will not be affected by the ban.

"Murals that have good taste that depict the culture and history of a community is a good thing," Lofstrom told the commissioners. "Few things can make my point better than the many cities throughout this state that have successful mural programs."

Lofstrom named cities such as Fort Pierce, Punta Gorda and Lake Wales that have mural policies and programs that are similar to those in Lake Placid.

"In all 153 cities throughout the U.S. and Canada have contacted that city for guidance regarding regulations on the use of murals in the city," he said. "I wonder why we haven't done the same."

In Lake Placid, a 10-member committee reviews renderings before the mural goes up, Lofstrom said. "The board decides what's going to go up on that wall," he said.

The commissioners say they are open to readdressing the issue of murals downtown at a later date. Lofstrom said he intends to follow up with the idea.

Sparkman cited the mural with questionable content in pushing for the ban. He presented a photo of the un-retouched mural to fellow Commissioner Bill Dodson, when Dodson expressed reservations about the proposal at the city commission meeting. Dodson said he didn't need to look at the photo and later cast the lone dissenting vote. Dodson said he was looking for a more thought out and complete ordinance over an immediate and outright ban.

"I am not sure Commissioner Dodson is cognizant of actions that surrounded this ordinance coming in place," Sparkman said prior to the vote.

Artist Blake Emory, who helped create the mural, couldn't understand the fuss over the painting that includes a depiction of an old man and woman sitting at a table. He said he was surprised an armrest protruding from the man's lap was apparently mistaken for a sex organ, and the painting was touched up immediately when folks started saying it was offensive.

"The city has been up in arms over the Plant City mural from the first time it was presented to them," Emory said. "We went through the proper channels and did everything we were supposed to do. The offending area in the mural was part of an arm chair, nothing more. But when it was pointed out to me I had it painted over immediately. As far as the rest of the mural is concerned I will be glad to talk to anyone about its content. But no one from the city has asked."

Under the new law, murals presently being painted would be allowed. Other than that, no more murals can be painted in the downtown historic district unless the property owner can prove that there was a mural on the building before the city established the district in 1994.

Edward Haynes, the owner of Hannas Antiques, who paid for the mural, was annoyed by the turmoil created by what he called an artist's mistake.

"If I thought there was anything indecent or immoral in the mural I would have painted over it myself," Haynes said. "I didn't notice anything wrong, and the artist painted over the part thought to be indecent without an argument. If the city was so interested in the moral character of the city why don't they do something about the prostitutes soliciting on the city streets, or the bums sleeping in vacant lots at night?

"I'm all for decency. I have a family too. But let's not get so upset and misplace our energy when it is needed elsewhere."