Dozens attend meeting on future of public art, controversial statutes in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —

Overnight and armed with orange paint, vandals struck twice, targeting the John B. Castleman statue in the Highlands and the George Dennison Prentice statue outside the downtown library. Castleman was a Confederate general, while Prentice was a journalist known for his anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic views.

Dozens saw the damage first hand as they walked into the library to attend the first public meeting on the future of public art in the city, what defines it, and if it belongs -particularly the controversial statues.

To date, the Public Art and Monuments Advisory Committee, formed by Mayor Greg Fischer, has received 1,000 comments. There were dozens more when residents had a chance to talk with members of the committee Wednesday night.

Maurice Sweeney who attended, admitted, "You do have to feel good that people are listening."

He told committee members the statue of Castleman belongs in a cemetery or a museum.

"I think that his history is of keeping people apart, not bringing them together, and this day in time we need symbols to bring people together, not bring division," Sweeney said.

But Ginny Stottman, who also attended, says the statue of her two times great uncle -who later fought in the Spanish-American War and is credited with helping create Louisville's park system - should stay put.

"This is my community. I live here and the Black Lives Matter is an issue and there's more work that needs to done without...tearing down statues," she said.

Councilman Brandon Coan's district includes the Highlands, where the Castleman statue has stood for more than a century. He praised the committee for their work and citizens for their input but said there was no easy solution.

But he said a decision needs to be made.

"It did not surprise me it was vandalized again and I think if they clean it up again, I think it's just going to be a matter of time before it's vandalized again, because we have to come to some type of answer. "

The Public Art and Monuments Advisory Committee plans to have four-six more meetings between now and June. That's when Fischer has tasked them with presenting recommendations.