Update: Parks Department says it’ll remove Alki mystery ‘installation’; someone beats them to it; another appears

The mystery “installation” – first noted here on Saturday, when it originally held a flag across which the word ENOUGH had been painted – is still at Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza. It’s been further altered, per the photo above sent by Jennifer this morning. But it won’t be there much longer, Sandra DeMeritt from Seattle Parks tells WSB:

The Parks Department will leave it in place for Sunday but it will be removed at some point on Monday and brought to the Southwest (Parks) Headquarters. Anyone interested in claiming it can contact me after Monday. Since we will have to pick the piece up with a front loading tractor, it may get damaged in the process.

We did move the sculptural pieces off of the sponsored brick work on Sunday. It is all now sitting on the concrete pad directly beneath the Liberty Statue. We noted that some paint did drip onto the brickwork but hopefully we can get it removed this week without any damage to the bricks.

We are currently checking on one report of another “installation” elsewhere in West Seattle.

ADDED 11:43 AM: A few minutes after we published this, Alki resident Misa Moore sent photos including this one:

Misa wrote, “We live across the street from the statue, so when I looked out this morning I noticed the profile had changed, I went to check it out and it looks like the artists came back last night with a ton of new installations. It looks like a lot of work went into it; we didn’t hear or see a thing either time.”

1:08 PM UPDATE: It has been dismantled, as commenters reported.

2:01 PM UPDATE: Adding photos. Our photographer spoke with the man whom bystanders told us chopped most of it up with an ax/hatchet. He wouldn’t identify himself but said he did it because he believed it was “illegal.” The pile of resulting pieces in the photo above is by one set of trash cans, while these components that had been added last night are by another:

Police reportedly arrived at the scene after our crew left; we went back as soon as we got word of that, but they were gone by the time we arrived. Meantime, earlier we mentioned word of another one elsewhere:

If you don’t recognize the spot, that’s the southeast corner of California/Alaska, vacant almost a year now because of the two-building mixed-use development whose groundbreaking has since been postponed indefinitely (the owners have ceased commenting publicly on when it’ll get going). The mats say SIMPLE LIBERTY OR … TYRANNY.

94 Replies to "Update: Parks Department says it'll remove Alki mystery 'installation'; someone beats them to it; another appears"

  • keden June 23, 2013 (11:40 am)

    There’s an installation at California and Alaska.

    • WSB June 23, 2013 (11:42 am)

      That’s the location we’re checking out. Thanks.

  • Alki beach June 23, 2013 (11:46 am)

    They are tearing it down right now- with axe and placing by park trash can

  • mb June 23, 2013 (11:54 am)

    What the hell is the purpose of this? I think its funny that some people will throw a fit about a piece of drift wood being moved or rocks stacked in various artsy places but using the statue of liberty as potentially a dumping grounds is A-okay!

  • fred June 23, 2013 (11:54 am)

    Long live guerrilla art!

  • Pauline Aldrich June 23, 2013 (11:55 am)

    looks like someone is cleaning out their garage, anybody know the purpose of these, Peace ?

  • Morgan Resident June 23, 2013 (12:16 pm)

    I’m glad the citizens are taking it down rather than the city paying the cost of a backhoe and flatbed to haul it off at taxpayer expense in an effort to try and preserve it. It’s lame that the artist saddled someone with trowing it out in the first place. They should have made it suddenly disappear the same way it had suddenly appeared. Instead they piled more on to throw away.
    Fine, make your point but haul your trash away after so the city does not have to spend money and time it doesn’t have cleaning up after you. Put it on your lawn or find a sponsor to put it in their yard.

  • Don't Encourage June 23, 2013 (12:17 pm)

    Why are pictures being published rather than treating this like graffiti? You’re only encouraging this behavior by providing a platform to show off their garbage.

  • Lisie June 23, 2013 (12:20 pm)

    Yeah, a bunch of people are out there tearing it apart right now.

  • Alki beach June 23, 2013 (12:24 pm)

    All is taken down! Police on scene with 3 units!

  • Joel June 23, 2013 (12:34 pm)

    haul that crap over to a firepit and torch it.

  • aj June 23, 2013 (12:42 pm)

    Guerrilla art? More like guerrilla fart!

  • eye of the beholder June 23, 2013 (12:43 pm)

    I think it’s beautiful and exciting. It did no harm to anyone except these “art critics” posting here. Funny how people get so freaked about things they don’t understand.

  • Alki beach June 23, 2013 (12:56 pm)

    No one told you how to build your house, what color to paint it, what clothes to where in public and what to put in your yard! Stop telling people what the can display in public or MOVE to an oppressed and totalitarian country. I may not agree with all the people display but I fought and defended that right to do it as a U.S. Veteran! They were hurting no one, makes me want to put something out ! Don’t look if you don’t like- and take down the commercial billboards if you really have a problem because they display commercialism, smoking an alcohol!

  • Jim P. June 23, 2013 (1:03 pm)

    “Guerrilla art” is fine provided you take responsibility for your work and clean it up when you’ve made your point.

    Of course, most folk who commit this sort of thing are quite short on civic responsibility when it comes down to it and have no problem letting other people spend their time and public money to restore stuff to what it was.

    Protesting the government not spending enough money on poor people or too much on war or suchlike while costing said government a good deal of cash to clean up your mess is hypocritical at best.

  • glenda June 23, 2013 (1:05 pm)

    Okay dissenters – we may all have our feelings on the looks of this art, but I am pro anything that makes the days more interesting, provokes thought/discussion and doesn’t actually harm anything. MB – it isn’t like this is the actual statue of liberty. Don’t Encourage – this isn’t property damage so it isn’t close to being graffiti.

    The whole point of art is to make you view your surroundings differently and think about things from a new perspective. If you are taking the time to comment here, this has succeeded on both counts.

    Lighten up folks!

  • acemotel June 23, 2013 (1:09 pm)

    Agree with eye of b. much spontaneous art is beautiful. I’m sorry some people are frightened and/or threatened. But people are afraid of many things, especially those they don’t “understand.”

  • Kip June 23, 2013 (1:14 pm)

    Maybe the artist woul have removed the sculpture on Monday. We’ll never no now will we….
    I’m really not sure why a weird sculpture with peaceful undertones has angered /annoyed so many. Get real & grow up!

  • G June 23, 2013 (1:14 pm)

    What a hysterical freakout, ala Fahrenheit 451. Sure, make sure you burn it ASAP.

    I guess all politics is partisan, after all.

  • fred June 23, 2013 (1:29 pm)

    Jim P., I agree: tend to your business on both ends. But what’s the timeline to get this done? 2 hours? 2 days? When does one call in the PC Police to “haul that crap away”? Maybe they were going to burn it in situ (Alki Burning Man?), but it spoiled somebody’s view and then all hell broke loose.

    Seattle didn’t used to get it’s knickers in a twist over this kind of thing.

  • Vanessa June 23, 2013 (1:39 pm)

    So not cool getting paint on the bricks that folks paid good money to support the plaza.

  • Jim June 23, 2013 (1:48 pm)

    This was art in the same sense that graffiti is art – only welcome if it’s good. Otherwise, wash it off.

    I’m more concerned about all the staples and rusty nails that were hanging out of the debris and onto the walking path.

  • asd June 23, 2013 (1:50 pm)

    so let me get this straight…’we’ come and within a few hundred years uproot a people who lived here for tens of thousands of years. And when a piece of indigenous-inspired art drops paint on the bricks that ‘we’ layed on anceint sands we cry out? Which should we mourn over more – the cost to remove art or the cost of removing culture? I don’t know ‘the point’ of the art, or even if there was one; all I know is that it caused me to pause, consider both the sadness and gratitude that comes with the story of that shoreline, and anticipate the coming reconciliation.

  • Jim June 23, 2013 (1:50 pm)

    Also, please don’t publish every instance of this kind of thing.

  • chuck and sally's van man June 23, 2013 (1:52 pm)

    Well if only the cameras were live so we could have caught these miscreants in the act and charged them to the fullest extent of the law: Failure to incite social and artistic reflection without a license! The cameras will stop just this type of criminal activity, I’m sure!!

  • Smitty June 23, 2013 (2:08 pm)

    Enough.

    The more pub the WSB gives these guys the more crap we will have to dismantle.

    Please stop giving them the attention they are looking for or we might start thinking you have some “skin in the game”.

    And no, this is not news any more than tagging is news. You guys went to J-school, right?

  • Silly People June 23, 2013 (2:17 pm)

    No way is this an art installation. It’s junk with paint on it, that doesn’t make it art.

  • K June 23, 2013 (2:18 pm)

    Thank you for removing it.

  • K June 23, 2013 (2:26 pm)

    Once again, good point Smitty. I think that a pic of it down and gone is enough. And I say this with pride.. I can write as much as I want to in this country… it is considered “blathering” to haters, want to be’s and people who sit on their hands all day.
    There is a difference between those who “do” and those who “talk about doing”. You lamo’s who have your opinions about my opinions and “blathering” are obviously of the latter. What have you done? Probably not a lot other than run your mouth… have you actually DONE anything relevant to this situation or any other?

  • jiggers June 23, 2013 (2:57 pm)

    NIMBY’s

  • chrisma June 23, 2013 (2:59 pm)

    West Seattle: Bellevue on the Sound

  • G June 23, 2013 (3:05 pm)

    I fully expected a vigorous debate about the issues that the installation might provoke – and even some justified indignation over using the flag – but the fuming and snippy comments over the expression of one’s opinions….?

    What’s that all about, West Seattle?

  • NotMe June 23, 2013 (3:11 pm)

    I can’t believe the mindset of some of my neighbors. Do you really think this was a crime? Do you really think the full intention of those cameras will be to stop the bad guy?
    .
    Ugh… maybe Snowden is on to something by moving to Ecuador. This is getting scary.

  • datamuse June 23, 2013 (3:14 pm)

    Beats me, G. I especially like the part where people are telling the WSB what to publish. Personally I’m glad for the coverage as I live nowhere near Alki or the Junction and likely would never have known about this if WSB hadn’t covered it. As it is, I’m glad they did, because I find it interesting.
    .
    Here’s the part I think is funny: piling the remains by a trash can means that tax dollars will still go toward their removal, since last I checked those cans weren’t emptied by helpful brownies. Oh, the horror.

  • Colleen June 23, 2013 (3:15 pm)

    it did make driving through the Junction a bit ago adventuresome as people stopped cars to look at it.

  • WTF June 23, 2013 (3:49 pm)

    Seriously!? Ridiculousness.

  • flimflam June 23, 2013 (3:54 pm)

    lame, west seattle……you’ll whimper about your freedom to blather on about your opinions on why its good to tear this down, but deny the freedom of the “artist” to express him or herself publicly? lol.

    yes, it was placed illegally, blah blah blah, that isn’t what you are REALLY objecting to. “ifn ah donts ahhgree ahm a-gunna tear it down!”

  • R June 23, 2013 (3:56 pm)

    WSB, I love you — keep up letting us know what is up in our hood…no matter how seemingly small…it helps makes West Seattle special.

    Hope there is some new structure up tomorrow that makes me think, laugh or roll my eyes during my Alki morning run. And if somebody gets so riled up they need to take it down with an axe later in the day, so be it. That’s the beauty…freedom to make a statement, freedom to disagree. Just keep it peaceful.

  • Amanda June 23, 2013 (4:20 pm)

    Wow, someone took an axe to it? That’s pretty bold if you ask me. Public art is public art. It’s not up to you to dismantle it.

  • jiggers June 23, 2013 (4:31 pm)

    Our country is heading right into tyranny. If we citizens stop caring what is happening to our own freedom’s and what the Constitution stands for, we’ll soon wind up like the country of Turkey and other’s.

  • Smitty June 23, 2013 (5:00 pm)

    I’m just saying that the WSB added to the intrigue by publishing two separate reports on something not worthy of one. It is just what the “artists” wanted, and as a result they will be popping up all summer. Neat.

    I’m sure if someone created some horrible piece of art depicting Obama being born in Kenya it would have been torn down by Amanda within hours.

    We all draw the line somewhere.

  • twobottles June 23, 2013 (5:00 pm)

    Art doesn’t have to make you feel good… it just has to make you feel.

  • Aaarg June 23, 2013 (5:08 pm)

    IMO the piece of art didnt make me think as much as the picture of it sitting next to the garbage can. Just throwing everyones ideas in the garbage…

    whos worse? the people that put it up, or the ones that would take it upon themselves to tear it down?

    -if we dont think the “alki girls” are pretty can we take a hatchet to them?

  • community member June 23, 2013 (5:13 pm)

    The protest piece had very little – if any – inherent artistic value. It looked like a pile of trash. Perhaps that was intentional. Its purpose seemed to be to use public space to express an idea. It seems to me that the person who took the piece down was also using public space to express an idea.

    I fully believe in respecting the property of others. That doesn’t extend to what has been intentionally abandoned. The artists could have stayed with their installation.

  • Smitty June 23, 2013 (5:24 pm)

    “Its purpose seemed to be to use public space to express an idea.”

    Exactly.

    Have the guts to stand out there and preach your ideas, hand out fliers, picket the junction, whatever. Don’t chicken out by dropping something off in the middle of the night and rely on the local blog to do the work for you.

  • DTK June 23, 2013 (5:26 pm)

    So this is what happens to art school dropouts.

  • Morgan Resident June 23, 2013 (6:11 pm)

    How can anyone say it’s OK to spill paint and leave a pile of wood in a public place where it was not requested or arranged. Then just leave it there.

    I’ve seen art around the world and I appreciate it in all its forms. I believe in the concept of guerrilla art and sending political messages through art. But I have no idea what message that art was supposed to send. I couldn’t read hardly any of the smeared writing. I think some people are stretching a bit to find some symbolism or connection to anything but the dump. It’s not symbolic of the art that it sits next to the garbage can. It just means somebody has to throw it in a truck and haul it to the dump. Which is better than spending money to save it.

  • Dave June 23, 2013 (6:16 pm)

    Whomever mentioned Paula Deen, your failure of middle school civics is showing. Paula was not arrested or jailed nor kept from expressing her racial epithets. she was fired by a private company who thought she would harm their profits and deposed by an employee who thought she discriminated against them. Her first amendment rights are wholly intact.

  • eye of the beholder June 23, 2013 (6:25 pm)

    It’s obvious, oh so painfully that most people who think this was “trash” have no idea what so ever what it means to create new ideas=artwork. Art is not a pretty picture on the wall or something to market. Art is an idea that provokes. Many people in Paris had similar juvenile reactions to the Eiffel Tower being built.

    If people we not so shallow and ignorant today, maybe this sculptor/painter (and this person definitely has keen artistic sensibilities and energy) would have a more traditional outlet to show their work and maybe wouldn’t be resorting to temporary installations.

  • Marko June 23, 2013 (6:51 pm)

    @twobottles You’re right on!

  • Observer June 23, 2013 (7:02 pm)

    Which is more of a crime; erecting public scrap wood? or Attacking public scrap wood with an axe during the middle of the day?
    I’d say the real danger is an axe wielding zealot.

  • chrisma June 23, 2013 (7:20 pm)

    Nobody complained about the yarn bombs. Those looked real nice after a couple of weeks in the rain.

    I wonder, did anyone in the Junction ask for those yarn bombs? Was there any community discussion before the “bombing”? Did the “bombers” have permits to put them there?

    What a bunch of NIMBY whiners we have here.

  • John H. June 23, 2013 (7:24 pm)

    Don’t mind it as long as it’s not overtly offensive, the “artists” take care of it afterwards and don’t damage anything along the way.
    In my opinion there’s too much sentiment today that it’s OK to damage property when expressing one’s self. You can express yourself using your 1st amendment right to do so, but that doesn’t give you the right to damage property (private or public) while doing so.

    It would also help if the artist made it more clear just what their point was . . .

  • Big D June 23, 2013 (7:27 pm)

    Lets face it the birds would have crapped on it anyway. Lol
    Move along west seattlites and do the yoga dance

  • Community Member June 23, 2013 (7:36 pm)

    Eye of the Beholder – you’re comparing this to the Eiffel Tower?

  • Mike June 23, 2013 (7:46 pm)

    How legal is it to pull out an ax and go crazy chopping up something in a city park?

  • datamuse June 23, 2013 (8:01 pm)

    Excellent. NOW we’re having a conversation.
    .
    Smitty, obviously you and I differ on whether this was newsworthy. Considering that this got more comments than coverage of a traffic accident that put a staffer of a well loved local establishment in the hospital, well…apparently newsworthiness is in the eye of the beholder, too.

  • DogsofAlki June 23, 2013 (8:04 pm)

    I love seeing something new on my daily walks!!! The rock formations, the driftwood huts, the sand sculptures, a totem pole structure, it’s all good.

  • NW June 23, 2013 (8:04 pm)

    I want to make one now and place them around West Seattle I totally get what this guy is doing and am inspired by it!

  • cj June 23, 2013 (8:18 pm)

    I’m a little worried by hatchet man who thought it was ok to take matters into his own hands.

  • chuck and sally's van man June 23, 2013 (8:26 pm)

    @Smitty: Art much? The purpose of these bits of art (questionably “artistic” though they may be) is to inspire exactly the reaction you’re having. That we’re ALL having. To expect the artist to stick around and engage with you (seriously?) is not the purpose. I applaud these people for making us all THINK just a little bit. Hope to see more of it this summer.

  • sad June 23, 2013 (9:13 pm)

    To the artist. I am really discouraged and was appalled that someone took an ax to your amazing sculpture. I appreciate the time and effort that went into the paint, the hand carved totems, the elaborate wings,feathers etc. the message made me think, made me feel a little uncomfortable, as it should, as art does, but I could tell how much thought and time went into it. The city would have been respectful of your work while removing it, and would have held it for you to claim. It’s really scary to me that someone thinks they have the right to destroy someone’s creation in that way, It is actually more of a hazard now than it was(his claim of why he was destroying it) now the nails and shards of wood are exposed. Art is not pretty, art should make you feel something, most of us have the ability to not act on our feelings in a destructive matter. I wanted to let you know I witnessed locals carrying your pieces home with them to avoid further destruction, there are those of us that were happy to see art on the beach. It definitely caused a reaction…. although of a scary axe wielding one :) Thank you for your thought provoking efforts.

  • Fiz June 23, 2013 (9:23 pm)

    Dripping paint on bricks purchased to commemorate deceased family members is not appreciated, certainly does not lend support to the “artist’s” message.

    Thanks to the people who took down that trash.

  • sad June 23, 2013 (9:32 pm)

    Chill out people, parks said they could remove the paint….it’s brick….., our brick(we have 3) probably got dripped on, big deal, don’t speak for all of us. Most of the bricks are not deceased people by the way. Again speak for yourself, Fiz do you have a brick? Most are not deceased people, we weren’t even allowed to include “in memory of” etc. on our orders.

  • Salamander June 23, 2013 (9:58 pm)

    Really ugly..not art

  • sad June 23, 2013 (10:15 pm)

    o.k. people 4 tiny drips of orange paint, that’s it. Just checked. Will take our Guys 10 minutes out of their day. Doesn’t appear to be any malicious disregard for our bricks.. most likely accidental or it would have been everywhere.

  • SeattleArtist June 23, 2013 (10:44 pm)

    Simple Liberty or Tyranny is the message, great way to get a community conversation going, obviously it worked! I agree, no real harm done, let people express themselves freely, that’s the spirit of Seattle (and America)!

  • NotMe June 23, 2013 (10:53 pm)

    An axe to the art? That, my dear neighbors, is your crime.

  • Ra-chan June 24, 2013 (12:04 am)

    The pretension is thick in the air! Next time I spill some paint on a pile of wood scraps, I’ll be sure to add some high concept keywords to it so people think it’s beautiful and rich in meaningful symbolism. Maybe I can sell em and make some money.

  • w.s. maverick June 24, 2013 (5:47 am)

    check the alki cameras you know they are on

  • anonyme June 24, 2013 (6:44 am)

    There are several junk cars in my neighborhood that have been on the street for 2 years. Can I chop them up with an axe? They are “illegal”, after all. Parks had already announced that they were removing the object within hours of its destruction. Taking a hatchet to it was vitriolic vandalism.

    Looking forward to more of these statement pieces.

  • anita June 24, 2013 (6:46 am)

    Speaking of ugly public art, what’s up with the prepared, fenced off area by the bath house? It’s been empty, and an eyesore for months. Is anything actually going to be installed there?

  • Thomas June 24, 2013 (7:15 am)

    It looks more put together than some of the things I’ve seen on Art Walks around town. Way to go and good luck! Art doesn’t just belong in retail shops (and all art isn’t gonna be pretty).

  • DRW June 24, 2013 (8:07 am)

    Yesterday there was a man taking away much of the “debris” that was left next to the garbage can. I didn’t ask him if he was the artist, I didn’t really care. He took the piece of canvas used as the “flag”. When he turned over the canvas, it had an interesting painting on it. So, not all of the items will be taken away at tax payer expense and I thought some teens would come along to burn the wood on the beach.

  • dave June 24, 2013 (8:59 am)

    Cool. Now I know what to do with my old washing machine. I don’t need to spend money taking it to the dump.
    .
    I’ll just use some leftover paint I have to splatter it up, hang an American flag on it and then drop it in a public place under cover of darkness.
    .
    I’ve made art, saved a few bucks, and caused a bunch of West Seattlites to argue/discuss amongst themselves.

  • sardine June 24, 2013 (9:25 am)

    OK, I admit this isn’t great art, but it is democracy in action. I wish more people used their creative minds to express themselves, our society would be richer for it. Whoever is doing it: thanks!

  • what? June 24, 2013 (9:31 am)

    dave, these were hand carved items the eagle was also very elaborate, did you even come down to see it before posting these comments? The analogy you’re making doesn’t even make sense, did you build your washing machine by hand, piece by piece? The flag aside, this was some serious art, what are your people’s hang ups? So, do it, splatter paint on your washer and bring it down. Make your own statement….

  • Norquay June 24, 2013 (9:39 am)

    Censor that pesky art.
    Build more drones.

  • dave June 24, 2013 (9:49 am)

    @what?
    .
    What? “my people’s hang ups?”
    I feel discriminated against.
    .
    Who are you to tell me and “my people” how we should feel?

  • pupsarebest June 24, 2013 (10:09 am)

    Anyone get photos or video of the unhinged individual hacking away with an axe?
    He/she seems like the type we might all want to aware of in our daily comings and goings.

  • Wild One June 24, 2013 (10:25 am)

    Silly art and silly comments.
    :P

  • datamuse June 24, 2013 (12:46 pm)

    Ra-chan, go for it! You never know, it might even work. ;)

  • what? June 24, 2013 (1:17 pm)

    wsb got pictures of him but he didn’t want to be identified. The ax man started removing the art to the garbage can and in the process got orange paint on his hand which he proceeded to wipe off on the benches. There is orange paint smeared on the stained wood, how is that any better than a few accidental drops, he could have wiped his hands on the grass if he was so concerned about the plaza, weird….(saw it happen)dave, I’m speaking of the people that are calling this garbage….many hours and probably weeks of work went into this stuff.

    • WSB June 24, 2013 (1:19 pm)

      No, we did not have a photo of him actually taking it apart. That, I would have run.

  • what? June 24, 2013 (1:25 pm)

    Parks is here to clean the smeared paint off of the stained wood benches….which the ax man put there, now who’s wasting our tax dollars?

  • what? June 24, 2013 (3:01 pm)

    update, now they have to strip and re-stain all of the benches, not because of 3 drips on the brick,which anyone could’ve removed with a simple nail file, because ax man wiped his hand that had gotten orange paint on it on the benches. Should’ve waited for the city to take care of it as it stated on the wsblog. ‘aint no body got time for that!

  • I. Ponder June 24, 2013 (5:46 pm)

    Seems to me the site of the miniature Statue of Liberty is a perfect place for exercising freedom of speech. By that I mean placement of the art object in question, not its destruction. Destroying someone else’s expression of speech is fascism. I’m sure ‘hatchet man’ considers himself some kind of incensed patriot. I’m wondering what the banner said. In my opinion this is more important art than the WALKING ON LOGS sculpture, because it’s thought provoking. Nowadays we need more thought provoking, though it’s clearly threatening to some. More please!!

    When people leave candles at this site in commemoration of 9-11 should they be considered vandals and litterers?

  • David Hutchinson June 24, 2013 (6:00 pm)

    The benches are being cleaned (high pressure wash) and oiled by Parks as part of the routine spring & fall maintenance of the Plaza. The statue was waxed back on May 31st as part of this process.
    .
    Twice each year, the Alki Community Council contacts Parks and requests this be done in accordance with our MOA with Parks. Costs come out of the maintenance fund created through the sale of the bricks and plaques to the public. This year is the 5th anniversary of the Plaza dedication and we have requested additional maintenance – replacement of the vandalized bench armrests and a refreshing of the landscaping.

  • WTF June 24, 2013 (6:33 pm)

    Does anyone find it deplorable for one “artist” to deface, even for a short time, the art of another? What gives this “peace artist” the right to put their statement over, near or above that of another; the liberty statue?

    Disrespectful and I’m pretty certain their message wasn’t received well.

  • dave June 24, 2013 (6:39 pm)

    @what?
    .
    “the people that are calling this garbage”.
    .
    So those people don’t have the right to call it garbage? They aren’t entitled to their opinion, only people who agree with you have that right?

  • datamuse June 24, 2013 (7:53 pm)

    Well, I don’t know, WTF. Would it have been more acceptable if it had been put somewhere else? I’m not trying to be combative–I want to know if it’s the fact of the thing or its location that you take issue with.

  • JoAnne June 25, 2013 (9:20 am)

    Freedom of speech protections do not oblige the public to display “art” on public streets or in public parks.
    .
    If your “art” is so great, anyone who wants it can acquire it and display it on their own property.
    .
    Or you can display it down in your own basement, which is probably the only place your mom will let you keep it.

  • Michelle June 25, 2013 (11:05 am)

    Wow I did not realize West Seattle had so many “mean girls”

    Geez people, high school is over! You expect people to respect you and your views, but you don’t have to respect anyone else’s point of view or opinio? The park is public, we are all part of said public, thus it belongs to all of us, So I have the right to display there as much as my yard or my Basement!

  • Felix Grounds June 26, 2013 (8:58 am)

    Hahaha
    I thought West Seattleites had thicker
    skin then this….
    What a bunch of NIMBY whiners..
    ” I’m a patriot, how dare you challenge my
    political/social values in a public setting by
    exercising your 1st amendment rights….
    I am powerless to ignore it…”
    Hatchet man sounds like a bonehead
    ” I think this is illegal so I’ll tear it down,
    then pile it by the trash can”
    Sure didn’t see any of you civic minded
    curmudgeons rushing down there to haul it away
    yourselves

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