Constitutionalists Target Lake City Art

53 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

• 

  Sisyphus on June 09 at 11:44 a.m.

  That’s some pretty harsh bigoted language there. And quite ignorant. Curious that the Constitutionalists wouldn’t confine their remarks to the Constitution. It strikes me that the city is opening a can of worms by putting up a statue with religious overtones.

• 

  nic on June 09 at 11:54 a.m.

  I think statues of Ganesh are ugly - but that’s more of my artistic tastes than it is my religious persuasion.

  I’m more surprised that the “Constitutionalists” are not objecting to the statue on grounds of church/state separation and instead are protesting because it offends their Christian morals.

  “We object to this religious display because of our religious beliefs! We want our 1st amendment rights protected.”

  Sis, there’s more than bigotry there. It reeks of irony.

• 

  OrangeTV on June 09 at 11:55 a.m.

  This reaction was entirely predictable, but still mind blowing in it’s idiocy. These ignorant yahoos ought to consider devoting all that energy to something productive and positive instead of bitching about a damn statue and once again making our area look like a bunch of uneducated rednecks.

• 

  DFO on June 09 at 11:56 a.m.

  You guys owe me a hat tip for digging this one out ;-)

• 

  DFO on June 09 at 11:58 a.m.

  Do you suppose Her Sandiness wonders whether she’s stepped through the Looking Glass? Souza and Sims and Constitutionalists, oh my …

• 

  jt on June 09 at 12:03 p.m.

  When did Ganesh become a demon? Yes, one of literally thousands of deities on can find in Hinduism but not a demon.

  From the wiki link above…

  Although he is known by many other attributes, Ganesha’s elephant head makes him easy to identify.[9] Ganesha is widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles[10] and more generally as Lord of Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles, [11] patron of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect and wisdom.[12] He is honoured at the beginning of rituals and ceremonies and invoked as Patron of Letters during writing sessions

• 

  Norther on June 09 at 12:17 p.m.

  Wow. Just. Wow.

• 

  stebbijo on June 09 at 12:22 p.m.

  I think this particular piece of art should be duplicated and put to rest in Mayor Bloem’s front yard. It it obvious that the art commission is appealing to the local feel and climate. Without a doubt everyone on the council and the LCDC would appreciate this type of work instead of a moose, bear, water scene, American flag ect.ect. They obviously recognize, what I do not, the beauty of the statue. They all deserve one!

  Personally, and no bigotry intended - it is frigging ugly!

  But, I am entertained, I will have to go see it.

  Hat Tip: Nice find - DFO!

• 

  Phaedrus on June 09 at 12:25 p.m.

  I wasn’t going to go to ArtWalk, this month, but now I guess I’ll go dressed as Shiva so I can dance upon these demons of ignorance.

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  OrangeTV on June 09 at 12:28 p.m.

  Just noticed the Kootenai Constitution Party’s facebook page has a whopping 18 likes, so this protest should just be HUGE! I could likely get more people than that together to protest their protest.

• 

  Phaedrus on June 09 at 12:28 p.m.

  If anyone thinks this is friggin ugly you should see ‘artwork’ Weiner has been hawking! At least they haven’t built one of those on Sherman Avenue. Yet.

• 

  DFO on June 09 at 12:28 p.m.

  I’m beginning to realize that the Coeur d’Alene area is so deliciously zany with its madcap politics, raw milk workshops, and now godless Art Commissioners, that I’m going to quit resisting … and enjoy this three-ring circus. Will the White Rabbit, the hatter, and Alice be at Friday’s ArtWalk?

• 

  lovetohateme on June 09 at 12:31 p.m.

  That’s ridiculous. I am Not a Fan of the artwork itself, but seriously? Aren’t there better things to spend your time doing other than complaining about an innocuous piece of art? Would these same people complain if a piece of Christian-themed art was erected in downtown? Of course not. There would be a slew of complaints from other sources, and these same people would be defending the Christian art.

  How about we all just extend some mutual respect and stop warring over ridiculous things like what religion is depicted in a piece of art that happens to be in a public place.

• 

  Dennis on June 09 at 12:38 p.m.

  Will Phil Hart be there between court dates???

• 

  Wes on June 09 at 12:47 p.m.

  I am waiting for these folks to rent the large billboards on I-90 east bound lane entering CDA. With a message “The Commies are coming and if your not Christian take the next exit and go BACK.

  No wonder they want an all white enclave.

• 

  DFO on June 09 at 12:56 p.m.

  It just hit me … Kootenai County is the right-wing equivalent of liberal Portland, Ore., which celebrates its zaniness with the slogan, “Stay Weird.” What would be a good slogan for our conservative zaniness?

• 

  Norther on June 09 at 12:59 p.m.

  “What would be a good slogan for our conservative zaniness?”

  Stay Stifled?

• 

  Kootenai_Conservative on June 09 at 1:15 p.m.

  I can only hope that Muslims are enjoying their day off as the designated minority religion to hate.

• 

  LarrySpencer on June 09 at 1:28 p.m.

  Money was spent on that? Would they buy a pile of dried cow c… Um stuff?

  /sigh

• 

  DFO on June 09 at 1:28 p.m.

  I misquoted the Portland slogan … it’s actually: “Keep Portland Weird.”

• 

  Phaedrus on June 09 at 1:52 p.m.

  “Keep North Idaho Ignorant”

• 

  liberal_in_right_wing_land on June 09 at 1:52 p.m.

  WOW! Amazing that people from CDA were angry about being combined with Spokane’s metropolitan statistics……..I am angry about being combined with an area known as the most racist, bigoted, and hatefully in the country outside of the deep south…..and this is just another example of their hate of anything not white, straight and strictly christian.

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  DFO on June 09 at 1:57 p.m.

  Keep Kootenai Looney?

• 

  DFO on June 09 at 1:58 p.m.

  Keep the ‘duh’ in Core-duh-Lane?

• 

  Norther on June 09 at 2:01 p.m.

  Hateful is an adjective. Hatefully is an improper adverb. I learned that in the Idaho Public School system. Do not fret, liberal in right wing land, the vast majority of us who live in Idaho who are not racist skinheads don’t care if you like it here or not. Come here. Spend your money. We will smile and be gracious. We will thank you and you can be on your way. Don’t be angry. Sometimes, in real life, some people have different opinions of things. It’s okay to be different. Just remember that nobody can make you feel angry unless you allow them to. Have a fine North Idaho day.

• 

  stebbijo on June 09 at 2:33 p.m.

  Seriously, how much money was allocated for this demon?

  Before people do things like this, they really do need to consult me. I wouldn’t charge much to give them the truth.

  This is going to put CDA on that world wide pedestal. Ganesh will soon become a local mascot. People will gather to perform their rituals and pray - CDA will be the hub of religious tolerance. Officials won’t be able to get this demon out of town fast enough as his presence will thrive, here. He will become a traffic hazard as people will begin to fill the streets. Folks from afar will travel to worship at his nostrils.

  I seriously see this as one of those unique national Idaho stories. I am going to put this thread on Facebook so I can spread the word!

• 

  deannagoodlander on June 09 at 2:33 p.m.

  Just to clarify. The Art Currents project of which Ganesh is a part is sponsored by the Arts Commission. There are 14 pieces in the collection, including St. Francis down by the park. The artist agrees to put his work on display for one year. The art is owned by the artist and is for sale. There is a price on each piece and it can be purchased by contacting the City Arts liason. The art is juried by a group of citizens for quality and the artist is paid a stipend of 500.00 to help get the art in place. A percentage of the sale goes to the Arts Commission to help fund future art purchases.
  The idea for this project came from several cities in Wyoming who have had this program in place for several years. One of those cities has received over $800,000.00 in commissions that goes into their art funds.
  To me the truly exciting part of Art Currents is the opportunity for the city to have different pieces by different artists every year and also supporting Art and Artists with the opportunity to sell their work. This is a win/win for those of us in Coeur d’Alene who enjoy Art.

• 

  Sisyphus on June 09 at 2:39 p.m.

  Thanks Deanna. That sounds like a wonderful program. And a legally clever one as well. A win-win.

• 

  Phaedrus on June 09 at 2:41 p.m.

  This is a win/win for those of us in Coeur d’Alene who enjoy Art.—Deanna

  Thanks for sharing the info and dispelling the ignorance.

  I’m with Sis, sounds like a great program to encourage the Arts at little cost and possibly great reward.

• 

  stebbijo on June 09 at 2:50 p.m.

  Ganesh is definitely worth 500 bucks! I concur! I have never wanted to go downtown until now! Talk about photo ops!

  Those Constitutionalists are just not getting it. Ganesh is priceless! Mudgy and Millie are going to be seeing green!.

• 

  DFO on June 09 at 3:21 p.m.

  @ Stebbijo re: “I have never wanted to go downtown until now! Talk about photo ops!”

  If you post a photo of Ganesh at Stebbijo’s Place, let me know. I’m definitely looking for a shot to use.

• 

  ShoshoneConservative on June 09 at 4:01 p.m.

  There are 14 pieces in the collection, including St. Francis down by the park. The artist agrees to put his work on display for one year. The art is owned by the artist and is for sale. There is a price on each piece and it can be purchased by contacting the City Arts liason. The art is juried by a group of citizens for quality and the artist is paid a stipend of 500.00 to help get the art in place

  So, that comes to about $7,000 total. Not much, but, still, these things add up. Add onto this the proposed overhaul of McEuen Field….

  Must be nice to live in a city with no potholes, a 100% fully equipped police and fire departments with state of the art equipment, not a single street lamp burned out, water and sewer mains in tip-top condition, not a flake of snow left on the street after a snowstorm, etc. Since, if that wasn’t the case, the city wouldn’t be spending money on non-essential luxuries, like renovating a perfectly adequate park and paying for a bunch of useless “art,” right?

• 

  DFO on June 09 at 4:01 p.m.

  Kathy Plonka is about to post her photo of Ganesh for the print edition. So I’ll snag it in a bit. Stay tuned.

• 

  DFO on June 09 at 4:07 p.m.

  @ Shoshone Conservative … the reason that uberconservatism is so unattractive to me is that it has no room for beauty, like public art. Indeed, Coeur d’Alene is a much more beautiful place today than when I got here 27 years ago … and it’s not simply because Duane Hagadone decided to dump a bunch of money into the old North Shore and Rutledge Mill properties. The push for public art lifts the spirits of those who aren’t snagged on pinching every public penny until it shrieks, as you seem to be. I’d much rather have The Feathers on Northwest Boulevard than mini-megaloads tearing up our roads and clogging our two main highways throughout the summer. I’d hate to see what Coeur d’Alene’s park system would look like, if you handled the purse strings. What you call nonessential luxuries, I call inspirational niceties that add to my quality of life in Coeur d’Alene. You might be partial to the slag piles and heavy metal contamination in your back yard. But I’m not. Will you be joining the Constitutionalists in protesting our art-on-loan program?

• 

  Sisyphus on June 09 at 4:09 p.m.

  Again with the subjectivity ShoCon. For many of us, art is not useless. After all, its the spark of creativity which feeds the entrepreneurial spirit leading to the American dream. Some of us value it higher than the pothole that pissed you off.

• 

  ShoshoneConservative on June 09 at 4:23 p.m.

  The push for public art lifts the spirits of those who aren’t snagged on pinching every public penny until it shrieks, as you seem to be. I’d much rather have The Feathers on Northwest Boulevard than mini-megaloads tearing up our roads and clogging our two main highways throughout the summer. I’d hate to see what Coeur d’Alene’s park system would look like, if you handled the purse strings. What you call nonessential luxuries, I call inspirational niceties that add to my quality of life in Coeur d’Alene.

  For me, not having to fork over quite so much to the County Treasurer’s office twice a year, and not having to struggle to find grocery money would “lift my spirits” more than looking at feathers, moose, and ugly statues. Why not get a public benefactor to pay for it? Harry Magnuson pretty much paid for the park in Wallace on the old Samuels Hotel site. Perhaps Hagadone could spring for the public art if it’s so worthwhile?

  You might be partial to the slag piles and heavy metal contamination in your back yard. But I’m not.

  That’s Kellogg. I live in Wallace - no slag piles here, and only inert, harmless lead sulphide/Galena in the soil (note to Terry Harris - whole books have been written about that debate, so I’m not going to re-hash it here). BTW, Wallace has been written up numerous times for its attractiveness to tourists in national publications.

  Will you be joining the Constitutionalists in protesting our art-on-loan program?

  No. Quite frankly, I agree that their stated reason for the protest is stupid.

• 

  chatterbox on June 09 at 4:27 p.m.

  I’m guessing the money to initially finance this project is not from the same budget as snow removal, street repairs, public safety, etc. Therefore, it cannot be used to repair said potholes or to help a deserving fire fighter.
  Different pots of money, different uses.

• 

  DanGookin on June 09 at 4:27 p.m.

  DFO: “I’d much rather have The Feathers on Northwest Boulevard…”

  Saving that.

• 

  MikeK on June 09 at 4:32 p.m.

  The initial money to put in the bases for the art pieces (one time cost) and publicity came from the Arts Commission Fund (dedicated fund for public art). If and when the pieces get sold, the city gets a percentage of the sale price (reoccurring every year).

  Interesting art that livens things up and gets people talking - WIN. Small investment from the Arts Commission up front and a percentage of future sales that go back to the taxpayer - WIN.

• 

  DFO on June 09 at 4:34 p.m.

  @ Dan Gookin re: “Saving that …”

  If you’re going to save that quote for some future day to possibly try to embarrass me in some way (which you won’t because I’ll stand by that statement until the cows come home), you probably should save the whole quote: “I’d much rather have The Feathers on Northwest Boulevard than mini-megaloads tearing up our roads and clogging our two main highways throughout the summer.” I’m not a politician. I don’t say one thing one day and then something else after I throw my hat in the ring to run for office. You can save this statement, too.

• 

  DFO on June 09 at 4:35 p.m.

  BTW, I’ve been calling the elephant god Ganesh. I believe Ganesha is the actual name. Guess I need to brush up on Hindu theology.

• 

  ManleyPointer on June 09 at 4:40 p.m.

  I think when a government entity funds “art,” you don’t have Public Art, you have Government Art.

  This is Government Art: http://marxistleninist.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/lenin_statue__ussr_flag_thumb2.jpg

  This is Public Art: http://laist.com/2011/05/19/mysterious_surfing_madonna_mosaic_t.php

  You choose.

• 

  fortboise on June 09 at 5:22 p.m.

  “Remover of Obstacles,” that’s good. “Patron of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect and wisdom.”

  I can see why the Koots would be up in arms about that.

  Up in arms, ar, ar.

• 

  Phaedrus on June 09 at 5:51 p.m.

  For me, not having to fork over quite so much to the County Treasurer’s office twice a year, and not having to struggle to find grocery money would “lift my spirits—

  Maybe if Idaho wasn’t a right-to-work-for-less state you could earn enough money to buy groceries without having to pinch every penny? I swear, if the Conservatives had there way we’de live in a place of Quonset huts and mobile homes.
  Oh, wait, we do.
  Jeez, a little art fires the imagination and lifts the spirits. The feathers make me smile every time I drive by them (whatever happened to the canoe?)

  And SC, if you live in Wallace why do you give a damn what I pay in taxes and what the city of cda does with its parks?

• 

  William_Borah on June 09 at 9:52 p.m.

  DFO doesn’t have it quite right. It isn’t the Constitution Party of Kootenai Coounty, as such, protesting the idol of Ganesh. It is Kootenai County Christians — many of whom happen to belong to the CP.

• 

  RedCedar on June 09 at 10:07 p.m.

  I think what the “Constitutionalists” are really doing is demonstrating that the first Amendment is there not to protect sweet words that everyone likes, but offensive and stupid language that nobody wants to hear. By exercising their constitutionally-protected right to say ignorant, bigoted, idiotic things in public, they’re showing that the Constitution is there for everyone. Hopefully they will have their day and spout off whatever it is they want to spout, and nobody in any position of authority will pay them the slightest attention.

• 

  selkirks on June 09 at 11:11 p.m.

  “OMGZZ!! The Barack HUSSEIN Obama communists are trying to spend $7,000 on a socialist art project that respects religions other than CHRISTIANITY?!”

  Why do I live here? Seriously, why haven’t I moved to somewhere where something like this wouldn’t be said because of its inherent idiocy?

  I mean, really?

• 

  greenlibertarian on June 09 at 11:22 p.m.

  A Google search of “Kootenai County Christians” yields exactly two results, the Consitutional Party article referenced above, and some oddball Facebook thing from last year.

  I guess some Kootenai County Christians are so weak in their faith that they’re are afraid of an artistic depiction of a Hindu god.

  WWJD?

• 

  lbbnjsharpe on June 10 at 5:24 a.m.

  Constitutional Party Report Card
  Social skills
  He / she plays well with others. = Fail

  Yup, we have no worries using flying bots as killing machines around the globe.
  But when someone’s religion gets offended all hell breaks loose.

  Pretty nutty if you ask me.
  How many of these peeps believe in science?

  TGIF
  Bill

• 

  CdAHumanist on June 10 at 5:27 a.m.

  They might have a point IF they weren’t opposed on a religious basis. Separation of Church and State applies to ALL religions and on that basis, then both Ganesh and St. Francis being displayed on public property would be a violation of that. As long as they were opposed to both……. but they’re not.

  And, my personal opinion as an atheist who has always been opposed to Christian displays on public property in this Country: It’s all or nothing. In this case, it’s all (assuming they would approve other religion or non-religions displays in the future) and I think Ganesh AND St. Francis are fantastic.

  Last though: if the Christians think that Ganesh was evil, they might want to consider their own temper tantrum throwing God who, according to the fables in the bible, killed millions of innocent people. 30,000,000 in the Book of Joshua alone.

• 

  CdAHumanist on June 10 at 5:31 a.m.

  Correction: 30,000,000 cumulatively by the end of the Book of Joshua.

• 

  karl2002 on June 10 at 5:54 a.m.

  Thank you Deanna for including details that would probably have been clever to include in the actual article.

• 

  Stickman on June 10 at 12:30 p.m.

  Thanks Deanna for the comment and the explanation.

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