Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Final supporters
Free the Chair!
- Support the rights of homeless folks in our community AND
- The freedom of working artists to make public art that cares
The Story: The chair I painted for the Downtown Development Authority was taken from Old Town Square the day after it was finished for a part of the design that read: "Everyone has the rest* *Unless you are in Fort Collins." The DDA pulled the chair because "they can't "be political," when earlier this year, the DDA supported one of the most outwardly discriminatory policies towards homeless people the city has ever proposed in a public letter.
The Point: Removing the chair from the square promotes silence around the violation of homeless rights and the censorship of public art in this town. Only supporting working artists when we agree to be silent and complicit regarding issues that matter and only allowing certain spaces to "be political" allows injustice to continue by pushing this issues and these people to the margins of our minds and communities.
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Updates
August 10, 2017
I am honestly overwhelmed by how many people have joined this effort since I first painted that chair. This entire movement belongs to you and your refusal to accept that art should be silenced because it tells the truth about our city.
13 Comments
When the city limits an artist's expression, they limit an individual's free speech. This is absurd. Never would I think I would have to sign a petition to FREE A CHAIR that was asked for by the city, and then removed when it challenged some cookie cutter mindset. Love you Caroline!
I grew up in Fort Collins and feel that my experiences there were foundational to who I am today. That being said, I was forced to leave because I felt that only certain artistic voices were allowed to be heard. For a town that likes to think it supports artists and musicians, I found that it was very unwelcoming to my self and my young artistic peers who were forced to move to places that were more receptive to challenging and brave ideas. This is just another example of how the city attempts to suppress certain artistic voices and fails to take some of its real problems seriously. Homeless people aren't just going to go away because you say they can't stay. But I guess you dont care because you've got another brewery to build.
The removal of this art from Old Town Plaza Fort Collins speaks louder than words...
GIVE US OUR RIGHT TO SIT Fort Collins!!!
Everybody must rest and everybody is entitled to their artistic expression--uncensored.
Downtown is for EVERYBODY
Do not silence artistic expression!
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Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Final supporters
Free the Chair!
- Support the rights of homeless folks in our community AND
- The freedom of working artists to make public art that cares
The Story: The chair I painted for the Downtown Development Authority was taken from Old Town Square the day after it was finished for a part of the design that read: "Everyone has the rest* *Unless you are in Fort Collins." The DDA pulled the chair because "they can't "be political," when earlier this year, the DDA supported one of the most outwardly discriminatory policies towards homeless people the city has ever proposed in a public letter.
The Point: Removing the chair from the square promotes silence around the violation of homeless rights and the censorship of public art in this town. Only supporting working artists when we agree to be silent and complicit regarding issues that matter and only allowing certain spaces to "be political" allows injustice to continue by pushing this issues and these people to the margins of our minds and communities.
Updates
August 10, 2017
I am honestly overwhelmed by how many people have joined this effort since I first painted that chair. This entire movement belongs to you and your refusal to accept that art should be silenced because it tells the truth about our city.
13 Comments
It's a constitutional right to speak out against unjust legislation; attempts to censor this art and message go against the 1st Ammendment.
When the city limits an artist's expression, they limit an individual's free speech. This is absurd. Never would I think I would have to sign a petition to FREE A CHAIR that was asked for by the city, and then removed when it challenged some cookie cutter mindset. Love you Caroline!
I grew up in Fort Collins and feel that my experiences there were foundational to who I am today. That being said, I was forced to leave because I felt that only certain artistic voices were allowed to be heard. For a town that likes to think it supports artists and musicians, I found that it was very unwelcoming to my self and my young artistic peers who were forced to move to places that were more receptive to challenging and brave ideas. This is just another example of how the city attempts to suppress certain artistic voices and fails to take some of its real problems seriously. Homeless people aren't just going to go away because you say they can't stay. But I guess you dont care because you've got another brewery to build.
The removal of this art from Old Town Plaza Fort Collins speaks louder than words...
GIVE US OUR RIGHT TO SIT Fort Collins!!!
Everybody must rest and everybody is entitled to their artistic expression--uncensored.
Downtown is for EVERYBODY
Do not silence artistic expression!
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It's a constitutional right to speak out against unjust legislation; attempts to censor this art and message go against the 1st Ammendment.