Art vandalized at Lambert Centre

Shannon LeClair
Times Reporter

 

The bench called ‘Belong’ that has been on display in the Lambert Centre will be finding a new home after vandals defaced the piece of art. At the end of January Dahrlyne Knaus, who works as an FCSS programmer in the building, saw a father whose two young boys picking at the bench. They had already peeled off one doily and were working on removing another. She mentioned to the father that it was a piece of art and asked if they could stop what they were doing.
“The father sat there on his phone texting and didn’t even look up,” said Knaus.
Angry at what she was seeing, she stepped back into the FCSS office to cool down. A few minutes later she went back into the hallway and noticed one of the two boys had taken the brochure rack and thrown it down on the floor.
“I went and picked it up and said ‘excuse me, this is public property,’ and the father gave me a dirty look and continued texting,” said Knaus.
“I really was very upset, it’s one thing to do damage to the walls or the corkboards, but this was a piece of art. Not that it’s okay for anything, but somebody put a lot of love, and sweat equity into this, I was very upset.”
Both Knaus and staff at the Strathmore Municipal Library have kind of kept an eye on the bench since it first was presented to the building.
“We’re really disappointed because we were so excited to have a beautiful piece of public art in this building. The lobby is pretty drab and it’s just really nice to feature local artists and organizations in that space so we are very disappointed but we hope it can find a good home where it will be well cared for,” said Rachel Dick Hughes, director of library services. “We do continue to feature art in the library and we will continue that … I think some people just need better education on the value of art and how to respect property that other people have worked for.”
Approximately two weeks after the initial incident, Wanda Reinholdt, Hope Bridges Society Coordinator, was in the Lambert Centre and noticed the damage to the bench was worse.
“I almost fainted because there were more pieces that were hanging, more doilies that were hanging, and then there was a couple that had been totally ripped off and paint had been taken with it,” said Reinholdt.
Because of the damage the bench will now be removed from its location, and could end up somewhere where the public won’t be able to enjoy it as they could at the Lambert Centre.
Reinholdt said it really is up to Jason Hale, who donated it to the community, to decide where it may end up.
“We need the public’s help to take care of items, and the town and the county recognize that as well and they’re on board,” said Reinholdt. She is also involved with the Strathmore Regional Arts Collective, which recently brought forward a proposal to the town and county about creating a policy for art displays.
“We just have to raise awareness and develop the advocates everywhere for our art … so that if they see somebody doing something to a piece of art we’re all working together to keep it (whole).”