Add another to the growing list of religious controversies in Lodi. This one is about sidewalk art.
The most recent story line involves:
» A Lodi man trying to prevent the installation of a planned sidewalk mosaic that features an Islamic symbol in the design.
» A City Council member who questioned city officials about the art on his behalf.
» The artists, including a teacher and recent high school graduate, puzzled over the commotion.
“Good art inspires; it creates dialogue,” said Mark Hamilton, a Lodi arts commissioner and mosaic artist. “And that’s exactly what this did.”
Perhaps that’s the one thing on which everyone agrees.
The mosaic in question is one of about two dozen created by local residents as part of a grant-funded public art project. The designs are slated to be installed in the sidewalks of East Lodi Avenue later this year during a massive roadway reconstruction.
One design in particular caught David Browda’s eye as he recently flipped through a magazine that advertised the mosaic project:
Embedded in the 28-by-28-inch tile, there is a large peace sign, a dove and olive branch, yin and yang, the Star of David, the word “PEACE” and other symbols.
There’s also a crescent moon and star, commonly associated with Islam. That upset Browda.
“The first thing I thought was, ‘What the hell?’ ” recalled Browda, 65. “When I saw that a symbol of radical Islam might be included on the sidewalk, I thought that was unacceptable.”
Browda spread the word. He consulted a minister. He wrote a letter to the local newspaper and urged residents to call City Hall in protest.
He also called Councilwoman JoAnne Mounce.
Mounce said she took it upon herself - as she said she often does for constituents who contact her - to get some answers.
She called City Attorney Steve Schwabauer and other officials, who told her there was nothing wrong with the art. The piece does not advance a religion over another and has a secular purpose, Schwabauer told The Record.
“I think this one is ... promoting peace between various groups, between people that live in Lodi,” he said.
On Thursday, Mounce was featured prominently in a Lodi News-Sentinel story about the issue.
The article said she was concerned about the religious nature of the art, and online forums lit up with comments. “I believe that we are heading for trouble any time you display art in a religious nature,” the article quoted her as saying.
Mounce - who has fought for City Council prayers and for displaying “In God We Trust” in council chambers - told The Record the article misquoted her. The News-Sentinel stands by its story.
Mounce said she has no problems with religious symbols in public art and did not try to get the mosaic design removed.
“I personally think this issue is a dead deal,” she said. “Part of my job, when a citizen asks for help, when they have a question, I try to help.”
Browda offered a different version of his interactions with Mounce.
“Her point of view was as stated in the (News-Sentinel) article,” he said. “We both came to the conclusion the (Islamic) symbol is inappropriate.”
When pressed, Mounce said she told the city attorney she worried the symbol might violate the art project’s rules that no logos be included in the mosaic designs.
“If we are breaking our own rules, why would we set ourselves up for controversy?” she said.
The artists behind the disputed design don’t understand why Browda or anyone else would have an issue with it. They say they were just trying to promote multiculturalism - one of the art project’s guidelines.
“I’m speechless,” said Rugaya Awnallah, 20, who was a high school student when she, two classmates and her teacher designed the mosaic last year. “The whole meaning of the mosaic was to reverse this type of thinking, to be open-minded.”
Her teacher, Linda Driver, said the ordeal disappointed her.
“In California, we do not live in an insular society. We live in a diverse society,” she said. “I would hope that people would see a chance for this to bring people closer together, rather than split them apart.”
Lodi in recent years has tried to shed a reputation of intolerance as the city has grown more diverse with Pakistani, Latino and other immigrants.
In the meantime, city officials say they have received only a handful of phone calls or e-mails since Browda’s call to action.
“And we’re getting people paying attention to our little project,” Hamilton added.