Aesthetic Puzzle: The Ownership of Artwork
Kelly R. Rollocks
CTA2: Curriculum in Teaching Art
Dr. Heidi Powell
September 4, 2020
Who has rights to public works of art: the artist, the owner of the space, or the community?
Yehimi Cambron was selected to create a public art piece, “Monarch” on the outside wall of Havana Sandwich Shop, on Buford Highway. Buford Highway is a diverse area of metropolitan Atlanta, located only fifteen minutes outside of the city, the Buford Highway corridor is a converging area of multiple large metro counties. The artwork was facilitated by a partnership between two non-profit organizations, Living Walls and We Love BuHi. The organizations communicated with both the artist and the business owner and came to an agreement about the project. The goal of this partnership is “to bring public art to the corridor known for its diversity while also raising awareness about the stories of the immigrants who live and work there” (Bagby, 2017). The mural itself depicts a monarch butterfly, a pencil as the abdomen, book pages as the right wing, and smaller monarchs flying over the silhouette of Mexico. While the mural may not appear to entice controversy based on the content of the subject matter, the artwork and socio-political unrest in the area led to clashing perspectives regarding the rights and the fate of the public art piece, between the business owner and the artist.
Yehimi Cambron immigrated to America at the age of seven with her family. She became a DACA recipient, and a local art educator. However, in 2017, DACA ended and Yehimi was forced to resign from her job. At that time, she turned to her work as an artist. She creates murals to paint a narrative about immigrants. In her own words, “The symbolism of the monarch… is that migration is a natural process, to survive, to give better opportunities for their children” (Bagby,2017). The visual elements depicting the pencil and book pages are connected to Yehimi’s experiences as an educator.
The controversy, arises in the signature of the artwork. Just below her name, Yehimi included the hashtag #heretostay. This reference to Dreamers and immigrants was met with heated controversy. When “Monarch” was completed, national debates regarding immigration became local news. ICE raids occurred in metropolitan Atlanta areas, including the Buford Highway corridor. Amidst this controversy, the #heretostay portion of the mural was allegedly vandalized.
The owner of Havana Sandwich Shop contacted the artist after the work was damaged, and requested that the hashtag not be replaced, citing that the phrase used is a “very contentious issue in a highly divisive political environment.” The owner also contends, that “when we discussed this project I was very clear that we and our restaurant are neutral and have no public opinion on any political issue on either side” (Bagby, 2018). Yehimi replaced the hashtag despite the possibility of the mural being painted over. Yehimi stated, “It’s a reminder of our dignity and resiliency. If it’s not welcome where it currently lives, I will find a new home for it. After all, that’s what immigrants do. We carry home with us wherever we go.” (Bagby, 2018).
Hours later, the mural was painted over in yellow paint. Following the loss of the original, Yehimi has since recreated the piece, on the wall of the Latin American Association located on Buford Highway. The recreation was facilitated by the same partnership of nonprofit organizations; however some deviations from the original design occurred. The new mural, now called “Education is Liberation,” has a centralized monarch butterfly, with a pencil and book pages. However, it does not depict the fleet of other monarchs flying over the silhouette of Mexico. Yehimi did not include a hashtag with her signature, but instead painted above the monarch “Aqui Estamos.” (Cambron, 2019)
Conclusions
Ultimately, who should have the rights to a public work of art? Should damaged art be recreated, and if so how true to the original should a recreation be? How do we guide students through this puzzle, making sure that they investigate all aspects and perspectives?
One scenario could go as follows: Allow students time to infer their own meaning to the artwork, prior to sharing any information. To prompt close observation, have students create a title for the work. Then, share more information and explain the controversy. Establish three groups to represent the artist, the business owner, and the community. Each group should work from their assigned perspective, communicating with group peers to craft a proposed solution to the controversy surrounding the hashtag. One student from each group should share the proposal, and allow other groups to respond to the proposal by either agreeing and justifying, or disagreeing and challenging. An additional conversation and response could be led individually as follows: allow students to compare and contrast the original and recreated murals. Should art be recreated when destroyed? If so, how close to the original should the recreation be? What would you do if you were the artist? Create an Instagram style ‘post’ containing a hashtag, caption, and image that explains your opinion.
Ultimately, there are multiple solutions and opinions to this controversy. My goal is to facilitate conversations, encourage students to remain open-minded, and consider multiple points of view. I want students to question the events that occur in their community by considering the causes and effects of actions. By guiding students to question and investigate various perspectives in their community, we are shaping their ability to articulate and justify their decision-making.
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