OUR LADY OF THE ASPHALT

Between Cahokia and Caseyville, at the juncture of Hwy 13 and Hwy 157, Lady Liberty raises her torch 25 ft over the passing cars. I parked on the shoulder of the road and approached the Craftsman style bungalow. Walking past the lion statuary guarding the door, I knocked. No one home. Toward the back I noticed a nice little compound of outbuildings with a treehouse deck raised fifteen feet around a large oak. There SHE was. Her robes were resplendent and her eyes as clear as the autumn sky. Other than a repair on her torch arm she looks as if she can withstand many a midwestern winter.

Who knew that we have such a magnificent monument in St. Clair County?



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Seriously though.......

The link below will take you to a commentary on a "public art" trend that I have noticed in St. Clair county.

While it is only a short paragraph written with no intention of making anyone appear foolish, I'm told that it comes off as a bit "smarmy". Please keep in mind that my point of view comes from being away from my hometown for 25 years. The basic question that I pose is serious and I cannot find anyone who can or will answer it.


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CLICK ABOVE FOR ENLARGEMENT

NUBIA, MY NUBIA!

In the very same downtown "pocket" park off East Main St. is a new mural designed by two high school Art teachers. It was conceived from a composite of old sepia photos from early Belleville. A neatly composed view of a turn of the century storefront, the scene has citizens waving, a dog, a horse and wagon and patriotic bunting.

The City approved the mural with a proviso,"NO BRIGHT COLORS AND NO NAKED NUBIANS!".Yes folks, that was the verbal provision.Probably said in jest, one wonders though, just what do City Officials have against Nubians? One listener thought that the alderman said "nubiles" but when asked for clarification, "No Nubians" was again stressed. Bright colors, sure, this is the Midwest, the land of earthtones and home of the beige. Vivid colors are a little too ah, Hisp...er Latin....Alien......ah,..Nubian?, Mexican?, ....you know.

Not finding any historical Belleville references to "Naked Nubians", the mural was designed without that image, thereby avoiding a controversy. The color scheme of beige, brown and tan gives the mural a downright spooky, cold feeling. It seems as though our ancestors are astral images, frozen in time, watching our Saturday Farmers Market, but far removed as participants.Perhaps this was the artist's intention? What does he know about the lions?

Click box below for enhanced, revealing enlargement

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Click box below for a MURAL!

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REMEMBER "LIBERTY CABBAGE"?

The writer feels that a recent call to have grandmothers STOP crocheting AFGHANS for their grandchildren is an overreaction to the terrorist threat from that country. This is a disruption of our local historical tradition! Better we adopt "Freedom Throws" as the new name for grandmas classic craft. Afghan Hounds should now be known as "Uma Thurmans" Call the A.K.C.

G.T.

Art in Public II