County Arts Commission decision reached

On Thursday, the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission agreed with our position that the "BUY SEXUAL" art piece was inappropriate for prominent display in the Betteravia Government Center. The commission ultimately decided, however, to keep the piece within the exhibit and to move it to a discrete location. We are disappointed with the commission's choice and preferred a full commitment to the view that the Betteravia Government Center was not a suitable venue for the work. Furthermore, it is highly unfortunate that the commission was fooled into accepting an unauthorized piece instead of the work that was originally approved for display. Ideally, our county's arts commissioners would be jealous enough of their approval process to refuse to be taken in by such behaviors, even though such behaviors were conducted by an "artist." Thank you for your support. As a result, we expect that the Arts Commission will update their policies of review to reflect more responsible standards for future exhibits.