Maine labor mural comes down on governor's orders http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2011/03/28/maine_labor_mural_comes_down_on_governors_orders/ Maine Arts Commission http://mainearts.maine.gov/ Detroit Industry: The Murals of Diego Rivera http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103337403 The public can't be trusted to commission art http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2009/may/20/public-art-jonathan-jones Public art gives Seattle its spirit http://host.madison.com/wsj/travel/national/article_c48ce772-e264-5464-9327-ab1ef8d7eb65.html Public art has always had its moments of controversy, and in the United States there have been many pivotal moments where an artist's vision met the public eye, sometimes with disapproval. In Maine this past weekend, a large mural was abruptly taken off display, creating a bit of a stir across the state. The governor of Maine, Paul LePage, ordered that the mural, which depicts Maine's labor history, be removed from the lobby of the state Department of Labor headquarters in Augusta. Created by Judy Taylor, the 11-panel mural contains scenes that depict a paper mill strike in the town of Jay and a strike at a shoe plant in Lewiston. An additional request from the governor's office asked that several conference rooms in the Department of Labor building, which are currently named for prominent labor leaders, be changed to something more neutral. The Maine Arts Commission hopes to find a home for the mural in another state building, but it has yet to be determined where that might be. The first link will take interested parties to a news article published on CNN's website this Tuesday which talks about this recent decision by the governor of Maine. The second link leads to a piece with additional coverage from this Monday's Boston Globe. Moving along, the third link will take users to the homepage of the Maine Arts Commission. Here people can learn about public art programs in the state and also read about the economic benefits of various artistic endeavors and initiatives. For those interested in other art controversies, the fourth link leads to an article from NPR on Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry murals. The fifth link will take users to a compelling editorial piece by the Guardian's Jonathan Jones on why the public can't be trusted to commission art. Finally, the last link leads to an appreciation of Seattle's public art from Rebecca Allen of the Orange County Register, which was reprinted in the Wisconsin State Journal.