New veterans memorial sparks public art debate
Posted on Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Fayetteville's Ordinance Review Committee is next on deck to define a public arts policy for the city.
Mayor Dan Coody brought the issue before the council at Tuesday's agenda session saying," I don't want to go through what I went through again."
He was talking about the Fallen Heroes Living Memorial which is now on the side of the Fayetteville Town Center on the Town Center Plaza, although that is not expected to be its permanent home.
"It was supposed to be one thing; by the time it got installed, it was something very different," explained Coody.
Originally expected to be a flagpole and a plaque, it is instead a flagpole and a monument. One side has a permanent plaque honoring one person; the other side recognizes those who paid for it; and the front is designed to have a plaque honoring a different veteran each month.
No one seems happy with its location.
The owners of the private property where it now sits, the Bradberry family, want it moved and Inalene Skelton, the woman who raised the money for it, wants it in the downtown Square or somewhere with more visibility.
But, that raises other issues for the city.
"We can't say'yes' to one and'no'to another," said Coody. "We've got to be careful about how we allow different things on public property. Because, once you start allowing several people to put things up, then you have to say'yes' to everybody who wants to put something up."
He said the city needs a policy to fall back on whenever it get requests for art or monuments.
"All of them are worthy, all of them are great, but if we do everything everybody wants, it could be a problem," Coody said.
Ward 1 Alderman Brenda Thiel, who heads the Ordi- nance Review Committee, said she thought the city had a policy stemming from the peace pole debate.
In 2003, the Omni Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology had placed "peace poles"on public property around town and had hoped for more. But the group backed out of the project after City Attorney Kit Williams explained that Supreme Court rulings call for governments to be neutral when opening the door to free speech.
Ward 4 Alderman Shirley Lucas, a member of the Ordinance Review Committee, concurred with Thiel that the city policy was not to have art on public places.
But, Williams said sometimes it is not clear if something is art or a sign, and it can be very difficult to draw that line.
He said the city has some discretion about monuments; but still it could be challenged.
In this case, there is an intent to honor all veterans; but the monument also honors individual veterans.
Lucas asked if the Fallen Heroes Living Memorial was a monument. Coody answered that she would need to look at it herself and ask that question.
"It seems to be several things," he said.
He told Ward 3 Alderman Bobby Ferrell that the World Peace Prayer Fountain sculpted by local artist Hank Kaminsky which is also near Town Center is also on private property, not city land.
Coody said it is nice to show public respect for veterans, but wondered how many monuments recognize individuals. He also wondered, over time, who would be responsible for the monthly change of flag and plaque.
He said the monument does not fit Veterans Administration Hospital requirements because it identifies individual veterans. It is also too big to be placed at the National Cemetery.
Ward 1 Alderman Robert "Swifty"Reynolds wondered about placing the monument with the Veterans of Foreign Wars or maybe an American Legion post. He said he will make further inquiries at the National Cemetery.
"I don't want to go through this. I spent weeks on this. It'd be nice to have something to fall back on. One of these days, we need a public art policy because we need more public art," said Coody.
After the decision to ask the Ordinance Review Committee to research and recommend a policy, Lucas asked if, in the meantime, efforts were being made to look for a place for the Living Memorial.
"I don't know that either," said Coody.
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