Move over Pink Octopus. There's another mural controversy in town.
It all started yesterday morning when our friends at Yawn Doc... errr... Non Doc reported that someone painted over a 2-year-old mural on a building along N. Western in the Crown Heights area. This outraged some people because I guess we're not supposed to paint over murals now.
This is what the mural looked like:
Yeah, they painted over that. What assholes, huh? It's not everyday that you get to own a building with a painting of young children frolicking in a lazy pond right before they are attacked by the vicious swarm of water moccasins lurking beneath them. Who wouldn't want that on their building? At the very least, it would make for some interesting phone calls...
"Yes, we're open until 6. We're located on N. Western in the building with the mural of kids about to get eaten by snakes."
Okay, I actually don't know if the kids are about to get attacked by killer snakes, but I was over-exposed to art as a child and it always takes my mind to dark places.
Anyway, Non Doc called the building's new tenant while she was on vacation to see what was going on. She's a former roller derby girl named Jen Hutchings. Her business is named Allota Action Advertising. And no, I'm not making any of that up.
Check out here thoughts:
Jen Hutchings, owner of Alotta Action Advertising, offered a frank and alternate view of Palmer’s mural that is now covered by red paint on the southeast corner of Northwest 46th Street and Western Avenue.
“That mural was ugly, and we are going to put a new mural on it,” Hutchings said by phone Monday. “If you have any issues with it, you can contact my landlord, Rex Baker. Otherwise I don’t need to be bothered with this.”
Yeah, what an ugly mural. I guess everything can't be as beautiful as the Allota Action website...
Can someone please add a few more bright, non-matching graphics on that for me? Perhaps another burst or two? My eyes want to be a little more confused on where to go. Also, why is a mouth sucking on stick a dynamite? That is dynamite, right?
Back to the story...
NonDoc was unable to obtain contact information for Baker.
Hutchings said she was vacationing in Key West, Florida, and was aggravated to be receiving calls from media about the mural flap. She referred to the mural as “ugly” twice more.
“I’m sorry that people are getting upset,” she said. “I don’t know what else to tell you.”
In all honesty, I don't blame Jen for being a bit rude and snooty. Imagine sipping piña coladas on the beach in Key West and having Tres Savage from Non Doc calling you non-stop to figure out why you painted over a mural. It ruins my next vacation just thinking about it.
Anyway, Jen must have received allota backlash from this story. She emailed the following apology to the media last night...
It came as news to me that the northern wall of the property I have leased at 4616 N. Western had been painted red. I was aware that the front of the building was being painted red and the roof black, and had discussed this work with my landlord. The painting of the northern wall caught me by surprise, as did the phone call I received about it from the media...
My business, Alotta Action Advertising, has been located in the historic Paseo Arts District for the past six years. When it was time for me to expand, I chose an area with a similar, artsy vibe. I’ve supported the arts for years and will continue to do so. My appreciation for the arts and my respect for artists run deep.
As I mentioned, my business is advertising. It turns out, though, that I may not always be the best PR person, and I certainly was not in this instance. I tend to voice my opinions honestly and say what I think in the moment. I am truly sorry I referred to Mr. Palmer’s mural as ugly. It wasn’t my taste, and I realize now that that was not the point.
Plans are underway to paint a new image on the building, and we will begin that process by applying for appropriate permits and submitting our design for approval. When it is time to paint, our intention is to reach out to high school art clubs in the neighborhood and give some young artists an opportunity to work on a piece of public art.
Sincerely,Jen Hutchings
I think Jen is being a bit too hard on herself. Art is a matter of personal taste. If she thinks the mural is ugly, who cares. Express your opinion. Do we want people to just lie about things now?
Also, I wouldn't say Jen's bad at PR. A whole lotta more people know about her business now. Was it the best attention? No. Is it still attention? Yes. Who knows, maybe it will payoff. If so, hopefully she'll find enough money to replace that ugly logo.
=
