Editor:
Starting last week, we have observed a mural being painted on the rear of our public library. It will be honoring our firefighters.
We all agree that they should be honored and all of us appreciate their heroic efforts saving our town. But what about the process — how the subject and the artist were selected? What was the input of the community in shaping our public spaces? There was none.
The decision was apparently made by faceless public officials of Riverside County who did not feel any need to obtain our community’s views. (Our library had no role or input in the process.)
A number of artists, including a student at Idyllwild Arts, had submitted proposals for a public mural at the library to represent our community, but these were simply ignored or passed over.
We have many local painters who would have liked to create the mural.
We live in a community of artists and people who have a special concern for our unique community. Should our officials have consulted us or at least made some effort to communicate with us before they made their decision? I think they should have.
Peter Szabadi
Idyllwild
I am fully involved with the mural above. My story of how it came to be along with who and how they approached doing it before is far different than this post indicates. I’m just saying.
There is a story…but it’s far different than this version.