I wish to set the record straight. I, like many of you in the 5th supervisorial District, received a mailer claiming Ellen Beraud is against veterans. I was on the Atascadero art committee that reviewed the Atascadero Veterans Memorial project. The committee did indeed vote 4-1 against the proposed project as it was presented in hopes of refining the memorial. The City Council chose to ignore our recommendations and accept the project “as is.” No one was against a veterans memorial.
The committee was asked to review the project because there was going to be a piece of bronze sculpture incorporated into the memorial, which would be considered artwork. The wall with the names honoring local veterans was not even questioned, only the bronze piece was reviewed and received a 4-1 vote.
As a member of the committee, I recommended that the artwork be opened up for wider competition and perhaps resulting in a better piece, but my recommendation was not considered.
The flyer is a gross distortion and some would say an outright lie. I, for one, am tired of this kind of politics.
Stephen LaSalle
Atascadero
This article appears in Feb 27 – Mar 8, 2020.
What the judicious Mr. LaSalle doesn’t say outright, but is evident to anyone knowledgable about figurative sculpture, is that the bollixed bronze behemoth that was approved in a “ram through” is an artistic travesty. We’re stuck with it.