A group of artists has been asked to lighten the faces of children depicted in a giant public mural at a Prescott school.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

by Dennis Wagner -

The Arizona Republic

Artists Pamela J. Smith and R.E. Wall, also the project's director, sit in front of their "Go on Green" mural on Wednesday outside Miller Valley Elementary School in Prescott.

A group of artists has been asked to lighten the faces of children depicted in a giant public mural at a Prescott school.

The project's leader says he was ordered to lighten the skin tone after complaints about the children's ethnicity. But the school's principal says the request was only to fix shading and had nothing to do with political pressure.

The "Go on Green" mural, which covers two walls outside Miller Valley Elementary School, was designed to advertise a campaign for environmentally friendly transportation. It features portraits of four children, with a Hispanic boy as the dominant figure.

R.E. Wall, director of Prescott's Downtown Mural Project, said he and other artists were subjected to slurs from motorists as they worked on the painting at one of the town's most prominent intersections.

"We consistently, for two months, had people shouting racial slander from their cars," Wall said. "We had children painting with us, and here come these yells of (epithet for Blacks) and (epithet for Hispanics)."

Wall said school Principal Jeff Lane pressed him to make the children's faces appear happier and brighter.

"It is being lightened because of the controversy," Wall said, adding that "they want it to look like the children are coming into light."

Lane said that he received only three complaints about the mural and that his request for a touch-up had nothing to do with political pressure. "We asked them to fix the shading on the children's faces," he said. "We were looking at it from an artistic view. Nothing at all to do with race."

City Councilman Steve Blair spearheaded a public campaign on his talk show at Prescott radio station KYCA-AM (1490) to remove the mural.

In a broadcast last month, according to the Daily Courier in Prescott, Blair mistakenly complained that the most prominent child in the painting is African-American, saying: "To depict the biggest picture on the building as a Black person, I would have to ask the question: Why?"

Blair could not be reached for comment Thursday. In audio archives of his radio show, Blair discusses the mural. He insists the controversy isn't about racism but says the mural is intended to create racial controversy where none existed before.

"Personally, I think it's pathetic," he says. "You have changed the ambience of that building to excite some kind of diversity power struggle that doesn't exist in Prescott, Arizona. And I'm ashamed of that."

Faces in the mural were drawn from photographs of children enrolled at Miller Valley, a K-5 school with 380 students and the highest ethnic mix of any school in Prescott. Wall said thousands of town residents volunteered or donated to the project, the fourth in a series of community murals painted by a group of artists known as the "Mural Mice."

The public art, funded by a $5,000 state grant through the Prescott Alternative Transportation Center, was selected by school students and faculty.

"The parents and children love it," Lane said.

http://www.azcentral...ial-debate.html

[LaL 418]

unbelievable. really.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

unbelievable. really.

I don't what is more unbelievable - the councilman's comments and petition to remove the mural, or the principal's insistence that instructing the artists to lighten up the faces wasn't from outside pressure. Very sad.

[Ban Hammer 13,395]

I don't what is more unbelievable - the councilman's comments and petition to remove the mural, or the principal's insistence that instructing the artists to lighten up the faces wasn't from outside pressure. Very sad.

or that someone decided it was worth spending 5k on.

[LaL 418]

or that someone decided it was worth spending 5k on.

I hope you don't mean that there is a price that this proposal would be acceptable at.

[Ban Hammer 13,395]

I hope you don't mean that there is a price that this proposal would be acceptable at.

yeah, there is a price - it's called 0 tax dollars to paint it instead of 5k

[Jenn! 918]

In a broadcast last month, according to the Daily Courier in Prescott, Blair mistakenly complained that the most prominent child in the painting is African-American, saying: "To depict the biggest picture on the building as a Black person, I would have to ask the question: Why?"

So true. Political correctness is sending this country right down the toilet. Why is the biggest picture a "minority"? Because if it were of a white kid instead all we would hear about is how they had discriminated against people "of color". 90% of Prescott is white, so there should be 9 white kids and one minority kid. Or a really big white kid, 9 times bigger than the hispanic kid and 100 times bigger than the black kid.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

So true. Political correctness is sending this country right down the toilet. Why is the biggest picture a "minority"? Because if it were of a white kid instead all we would hear about is how they had discriminated against people "of color". 90% of Prescott is white, so there should be 9 white kids and one minority kid. Or a really big white kid, 9 times bigger than the hispanic kid and 100 times bigger than the black kid.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

My first wife was tarded, she's a pilot now

[KaiserD 12]

I'm slightly confused - what did they hope to achieve by having the subjects "lightened" exactly? To make them look less like the races they represent? I mean they're either going to look white or they're not. It's just a total waste of time, I mean they're painting real children that go to the school, may as well paint them how they look.

Or is this a "lighter skin is more beautiful thing", which I did not even realize anyone thought about until noticing Beyonce's 3000 different skin shades on magazines and the existence of "skin lightening" creams in some places.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I'm slightly confused - what did they hope to achieve by having the subjects "lightened" exactly? To make them look less like the races they represent? I mean they're either going to look white or they're not. It's just a total waste of time, I mean they're painting real children that go to the school, may as well paint them how they look.

Or is this a "lighter skin is more beautiful thing", which I did not even realize anyone thought about until noticing Beyonce's 3000 different skin shades on magazines and the existence of "skin lightening" creams in some places.

It sounds like knee-jerk reactions, starting from passers-by to the councilman and then to the principal. The principal is just making an excuse knowing full well that the mural was based on photos of actual kids who attend the school.

Edited June 4, 2010 by El Buscador

[KaiserD 12]

But I mean how is lightening the tones of the skin on the murals going to do anything for said passers-by? Unless said tones were painted peachy white, which no longer becomes a representation of the kids or the school's multi race status (I know it was about green transportation but it's still a statement.

After a quick search I couldn't find any different pictures, so not sure if that's before or after.

LOL I found a comment on this story at another site:

Most of the food you eat today will have been provided by someone who looks nothing like you. Most of the clothing you will put on today are made by someone who looks nothing like you. The equipment into which you blather your nonsense is made by someone who looks nothing like you. The folks who come in and clean the building after you and folks who look like you leave for the night will look nothing like you. Most of the life you enjoy so obliviously is made possible by people who look nothing like you. Get over it. Everyone has a right to reach for the golden ring, now, please, kindly, just get out of the way

I love the last part, even if it had nothing to do with the mural lol

[Craneman 2]

I second that $5000 public money??????

yeah, there is a price - it's called 0 tax dollars to paint it instead of 5k

[Jenn! 918]

omg taxpayer money going to improve the appearance of a public elementary school while at the same time allowing the students to participate in a major art project that will enhance the community!?

[alienlovechild 75]

R.E. Wall, director of Prescott's Downtown Mural Project, said he and other artists were subjected to slurs from motorists as they worked on the painting at one of the town's most prominent intersections.

"We consistently, for two months, had people shouting racial slander from their cars," Wall said. "We had children painting with us, and here come these yells of (epithet for Blacks) and (epithet for Hispanics)."

Amazing how brazen people are when they can scream out whatever they please and then speed away. My guess is the people calling names are fairly young and that's how they get their kicks.