Temecula artists speak out about city actions and removal of nude portrait

It’s been a rough week for Sissi Hale. The Temecula resident and artist who curated the 2010 Visual Expressions exhibit at The Merc on Jan. 22 has found herself in the middle of a political firestorm that resulted from the removal of artist Jeff Hebron’s nude painting from the exhibit.

After waiting for city officials to speak out on the issue, exhibit chairwoman Hale has decided to come forward and shed light on what is quickly becoming a concern to artistic circles here in Temecula and across the nation.

Several attempts to reach city officials for comment Tuesday were unsuccessful.

The order to remove the painting came as a surprise, said Hale, considering the painting had the approval of Temecula Community Services Director Herman Parker.

According to Hale, the event was to be a “successful night for the arts in Temecula.” Hale had logged over 300 hours in preparation for the exhibit and had secured two professional artists/jurors – Mollie Kellogg and Lisa Bebi –to judge the submissions, ensuring the credibility of the exhibit.

“Artists were here from Pasadena to El Cajon. [Visual Expressions] was a huge draw for the city. We had almost 200 people crammed into The Merc,” Hale said.

Hale said that it was Bruce Beers, Theater Manager at Old Town Temecula Community Theater, who first told her that the painting was to be removed. He did so as she and Fallbrook artist Brandy Sebastian were readying the painting for hanging at The Merc.

“Bruce approached both of us and said that there’s an issue with [Jeff’s painting],” said Sebastian, adding that Beers indicated that the decision to remove the painting had been made by someone in city management.

Despite an appeal by both Hale and Sebastian to conceal the painting behind a screen and allow patrons the chance to view at their own discretion, Beers elected to remove the painting from view.

“I feel like [Beers] was bringing the message to us and was equally disappointed [with the decision to remove the painting from the exhibit],” Sebastian said. “My instincts are that his hands were tied.”

Mindful of the exhibit’s prospectus that said artwork should be non-explicit and appropriate for family viewing, Hale said she had felt confident that the painting’s approval two weeks prior to the exhibit had secured its place in the show.

As to which city official is responsible for the painting’s removal, Hale said she assumed that Parker was the one to make the call, but couldn’t be sure.

The move to strike the painting from the exhibit coincided with the Jan. 22 removal of two life portraits submitted for show at the Temecula Public Library by resident artist Lora Sanders.

Sanders said that two of her paintings — one that depicted her brother-in-law sitting pensively while smoking a cigarette and the other featuring two men, with one holding a beverage bottle — were taken down after having been displayed for one day.

“I was mortified. I didn’t want to offend anyone. I painted people I knew — my family. I didn’t want to create controversy; I wanted to create a life moment. I wanted to show people being human,” Sanders said, adding that the librarian explained to her that a letter of complaint prompted the paintings’ removal.

A third painting by Sanders, featuring a teen boy leaning over a teen girl, was kept out of the exhibit as well.

As for what happens next, Hale can’t be sure. The controversy comes just as Hale was working on a proposal to the city that would secure a space in Old Town for an art gallery.

“My proposal was to offer that I would manage and coordinate the gallery for free for a full year,” Hale said, noting her commitment to artistic expression and her belief that other Temecula artists are hungry for such a venue.

“We need gallery space. Our kids cannot grow up without the arts,” Hale said.

Noting that The Merc is city-owned and a venue through which families enter the Old Town Temecula Community Theater to attend plays and other performances, Sebastian said, “The rules could have been defined more clearly from the beginning. Everyone has their own interpretation of what is family friendly.”

The removal of Jeff Hebron’s painting has raised First Amendment concerns, prompting attention for the National Coalition Against Censorship, which sent a Feb. 16 letter to Temecula City Manager Shawn Nelson expressing its concerns about censorship.

“This letter comes as a complete surprise to us. We were not aware that there was a controversy regarding this issue. We will evaluate the letter and its statements, an d any action the City should take, if any, regarding this issue,” according to a statement released Feb. 19 by Assistant City Manager Aaron Adams.

Kerri S. Mabee can be reached at ksmabee.swrnn@gmail.com with comments or questions. Follow me on Twitter at SWRNNaelife.

Tags: 2010 visual expressions, Bruce beers, Herman Parker, Jeff Hebron, Kerri S. Mabee, lora sanders, National Coalition against Censorship, nude portrait, old town temecula community theater, Sissi Hale, SWRNN, Temecula, temecula nude portrait, Temecula Public Library, The Merc

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 at 7:57 pm and is filed under Arts & Entertainment, Local News, News, Politics & Government . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.