Our Memorial Art Gallery has commissioned a piece of sculpture by a man named Tom Otterness.  Mr. Otterness is notorious for "adopting" a dog from an animal shelter, chaining it to a fence, shooting it, then filming it's agonizing death for "art's sake"
Mr. Otterenss; criminal actions were recently uncovered by journalist Gary Indiana.  In 2008 Mr. Otterness issued what he calls a public apology.

Ultimately he lost a commission in San Francisco(they were unaware of his past activities).

Sadly, my hometown knew of his past and hired him anyways.

Since the petition activated on October 2,  we accumulated over  2200 names.

Many local, regional, but the petition has gained national and global interest.

If MAG goes ahead with this sculpture our fear is more loss of funding to the arts because of this appalling lack of judgement for a major commisssion.

Related news items
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20110929/NEWS01/109290322/Sculptor-Tom-Otterness-involved-Memorial-Art-Gallery-project-draws-protests?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews

 http://www.campustimes.org/2011/10/06/mag-entrenched-in-battle-over-controversial-artist/
http://articles.sfgate.com/2011-09-17/bay-area/30167883_1_tom-otterness-central-subway-dog-shooting

Petition site https://www.change.org/petitions/bring-animal-murderer-to-justice

Facebook site  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rochesterians-Against-Tom-Otterness/172876442795619

Thanks for your time

Michelle Brownstein DVM