Clarksdale is fortunate to have brightly painted murals on walls in this community.
Communities, countries and ancient cultures are defined by the art they give us today or by the art they left behind long after they perished from the face of the Earth. The frescos of Pompeii, the master Italian painters and the blues music of a little ole place called Clarksdale will last a lot longer than buildings around here.
The latest art to grace the walls of downtown Clarksdale has created a stir in our community.
You see – quite literally – some of the most recent murals to go up in our community have a definite political message and dark undertones that concern some.
Yes, art is often controversial. But creating controversy for the sake of controversy is the first step toward division, and we have enough of that in this country and community.
Therefore we think the city’s effort to create some kind of policy or committee to guide what is best for Clarksdale is the correct move.
We would like to remind those who believe we should not infringe on the right of an artist to express themselves that these are murals that are on public streets and seen by children, and also those who live here and who might not appreciate that expression. Legally, it’s called acceptable community standards.
Last but not least, there are many positive things about Clarksdale – the land, the music, the people. We ask our visiting artists to please learn about us and paint what best reflects us.
We support city leaders in trying to set a policy and process for all art that goes up for public viewing in our community.
These artists have been invited into our town and, and as with any guest, they need to understand and respect our culture, our values and our views – even if they are different from their own.
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