By Jordan Varney
DAVIS — Today at 3 pm local activists noticed the art was missing from the Solidarity Space in Central Park.
Gathering to hold space for the verdict from the Chauvin trial, they came upon a barren fence usually full of
portraits of those killed by police, Black Lives Matter posters, and artwork from local artists including Kate Melon-Anibaba, the curator and head of Solidarity Space Davis.
Local activist and Yolo People Power member Morgan Poindexter was on-site making calls, attempting to track down the art. “It’s extremely upsetting to see on any day, an act of overt racism here in Davis, and especially on a day when such an influential verdict is given. This just goes to show that racism is active all around us.”
Mayor Gloria Partida stopped by, initially to be in community with people about the Chauvin trial but ended up making her own calls attempting to track the art down. She did not find any answers but let the attendees know she would continue looking.
While people were making phone calls, UC Davis student Schroedter Kinman showed up to make more art for the Solidarity Space. He initially planned on adding to the art but now will be providing the current art until the original set is found or new portraits and posters are painted.
If anyone knows anything about the missing art or its whereabouts please contact mpoindexter@ucdavis.edu.
So how does anyone know for sure that this is racism? Maybe the city or someone else conducted some clean up. Possibly some kids innocently took the art. It’s possible some racist stole or destroyed the art for nefarious reasons, but conclusions shouldn’t be jumped to until the facts are in.
They just happened to take every single thing there? Innocently?
Will you promise to do everyone a favor and follow up on this story when all the facts are in?
Sure if there are in fact new facts
He’ll get right on that, after he finishes the followup piece on the Mace Boulevard Taco Bell – Motel 6 – gas station mini-mart story.
Y’know, it is raining lightly here in central Davis and a bit of wind, only four hours after 3pm – could someone have taken it in to protect it from the weather?
I’m confused by this. This was declared a racist act. What were the phone calls to ‘track down’ the art about? Was there some confusion as to if someone involved took the art home and they were checking, or did they know the phone numbers of racists who might have stolen the art?, or where they calling neighbors of the park to see if they saw something, or were they calling the police? Nah. If my bike is stolen, I don’t start calling around to track it down. So I’m guessing no one was sure if it was stolen, so why the declaration of racism? I mean if it was vandalized, that would very likely be an act of racism.
I think twofold, Alan. First, when I was down there they were trying to figure out if they threw the art in a dumpster and see if they could salvage some of it. But they weren’t able to locate it. Second, they were also trying to figure out when it happened and to do that they had to figure out when it was last seen. It seems like the incident occurred after Sunday but before Tuesday afternoon – probably meaning it was not in response to the verdict.
But do you agree that without knowing the facts the response in the article is totally over the top?
Just curious, is the community art area open to anyone who wants to display their art on any topic they might feel inspired by? Or is it like the chalk paint on the downtown streets where when others wanted to also display their message it was all shut down?
“But do you agree that without knowing the facts the response in the article is totally over the top?”
I don’t. I don’t know why you think someone stealing sensitive material from a community exhibit deserves the benefit of the doubt.
I’m surprised to hear you say that being a criminal justice blog and all. That’s like saying guilty before proven innocent. I thought everyone deserved the benefit of the doubt. How many times have you written that we should wait until all the facts are in and weighed and don’t rush to judgement?
But it’s a statement by a community member not a court of law. This were a trail they would have the presumption of innocence and they would have defense to represent them. In this case we don’t even know who did it. So there is no presumption here. Community members have the right to express their opinion and their reaction to something.
An applicable principle is Hanlon’s razor: “don’t assume malice when incompetence or ignorance would suffice.”
Suffice means that even if it is more statistically probable that someone stole them, if it is still reasonable that the city staff or a member of the group put them away, then don’t give a verdict that someone stole it.
If the art pieces were not removed, but spray painted over, then incompetence and ignorance would not suffice.
“if it is still reasonable that the city staff or a member of the group put them away, then don’t give a verdict that someone stole it.”
There is no possibility of either. Zero.
David does not declare this to be a racist act–as a good journalist, he is reporting a quote from someone who represents a reputable organization said it was “an act of overt racism here in Davis.” That person is entitled to express an opinion based on supposition (which happens often here in the comments section).
That was the point Alan was making. People were making calls because it is possible that someone took them without malice. An activist could have taken them to display them at a different site.
How many art pieces were there? Since when? How many do you know were made by local artist?
First of all, Alan misinterpreted the comments. Second, we have a new article with updated information including a statement from the city. Look at the photo.
I misinterpreted what comments?
My post about the weather was removed for what reason? If no one acted for that reason, fine, but can’t you just say ‘that wasn’t the reason’ and leave it at that? There was nothing offensive about speculating about that as a reason. Yet, as you removed my comment, you were sure to add in the new article, ” . . . even as a surprise rain briefly hit the area.” To anyone watching the weather radar, as I was, there was powerful (yellow) cell circulating counterclockwise along the west side of the valley, headed towards Davis. While I don’t think that cell hit Davis square on, it could have, so it seemed reasonable someone could have acted to protect the art.
The only reason I’m skeptical this was a racist act is that racism is fueled by anger, and ‘removal’ doesn’t reek of anger. If this was a racist act, I’d expect that the art would have been torn up and pieces of it found all around, or the fist would have been damaged or spray painted, or racist graffiti spray painted adjacent to the installation, things like that. If this was stolen, it sounds more like by someone who appreciated the art and took it whole. Not that it’s not f¨cked up that it was stolen, but without some display of anger, I’m not sensing racism as a motive.
If it turns out this was committed for racist reasons, I’ll gladly join in to condemn the act.
What comments did I misinterpret, again?
Your comment is still there. I responded directly to you above.
Oh, my bad, I missed it scrolling. Apologies.
Doesn’t change the jist of my comment, but apologies in the tone part accusing you/mod of removing the comment about the weather. Clearly that is still there.
I think any chance that someone will come forward and contact Morgan with an explanation is greatly diminished. I understand the emotions and how hurt people feel, but this doesn’t provide a safe space for an explanation to be offered or resolution reached or for welcoming participation.
From other, related article:
Allow me to express my extreme outrage at the loss of blatantly-political (and subsequently replaced) art, which seems to primarily consist of hand-drawn posters. In an outdoor space which is somehow “run by an organization” in an otherwise public park.
And might I add that it is “shocking”, just “shocking” that this would attract attention from someone with ulterior motives.
Regardless of the reason that it occurred. 🙂