By Richard Kavesh
Nyack, October 30 — It’s over and gone. Out with the old, in with the new.
After months of controversy, the 6’ x 10’ mural by Pearl River artist Carol McIlmurray that occupied the window at 13 North Broadway for months was removed at 4:50p today, hauled away by Pomona Glass & Mirror.
“It’s a tough day,” McIlmurray said.
As described by the Journal News, “the controversial window mural featured a golden orb and a large, golden angel, made of paint and Spackle, riding a couple of ocean waves before McIlmurray started scraping off layers of paint a few days ago.”
As a crowd gathered to watch the mural removed and a new, 240-pound transparent pane of glass installed, opinion on North Broadway was divided.
One observer who supported removing the mural complained that McIlmurray had left the sidewalks splattered with paint for months while another told me that the painting was bad for surrounding businesses.
However, one person who supported McIlmurray’s right to display the mural compared its removal to Kristallnacht, anti-Jewish Nazi pogrom of November, 1938.
McIlmurray was ordered by Nyack Justice Court to remove the display by October 29th but was granted a 30-day extension, which she honored today.
McIlMurray’s shop, which she planned to call “Romp,” was open just for a few hours on July 4th . McIlmurray previously tangled with Nyack’s Building Department and merchants about the mural which violated fire codes because it blocked the window.There’s no word yet as to who will occupy it now, but prospective new tenants were looking over the place at the very same time as Pomona Glass was preparing to remove the mural and install the new glass.
McIlmurray told the Journal News that she plans to concentrate on her website which is now offline after operating throughout the past several months.
One thing’s for sure: there’s never a dull day in Nyack but there’s always an argument.
Sources: Journal News 10/30, NyackNewsAndViews posts, June-Sept 2009
Photo Credit: Richard Kavesh
Sorry guys, this girl rocks. The mural was awesome to see change and grow each day, like a real movement in time. This town has its head so far up its own behind, impeaching Bush, and being the taste police, (real liberal, by the way). Stop. Just stop. Go hug a tree, and relax. She got more press for this town than any of you arm chair critics will every get.
Steve – that invitation has me thinking….
I agree with you on the ludicrous part.
Good on you for getting involved! Why don’t you submit an application for a land use board? We could use you….
To Steve Knowlton:
I was present during one of the Village’s meetings prior to this case going to court, when the building code enforcer spoke (very passionately) as did other members of the village, including merchants who had to follow due diligence and process, practically begging the board to be a little more stringent in their decisions.
What I meant as the process being ludicrous, here you have the building enforcer slapping violation after violation after violation. If these violations truly had merit for fire codes, etc., there should have been a padlock put on the building OR the owner, MacCartney should have been served with a summons. I have been involved personally many times with local meetings, by attending as a mere citizen of Nyack who is interested in what goes on, as well as having to bring my own issue to the board.
I wholeheartedly support the building code enforcer, in fact, what happened here in this situation, actually made his job more meaningless, because he worked tirelessly on behalf of Nyack and all of his efforts were pretty much discarded by the board that listened to his pleas with half an open ear, as they did most of the public on this issue. I also get very involved in many issues and volunteer my personal time for many causes.
My opinion on this issue being ludicrous stands.
@DSpi:
The land use boards do not have the power to enforce the building codes—that’s up to the Building department, who does, BTW, a great job with the resources they are provided. The process unfolded as required under the law. The Village, like everyone else, is bound by the law.
If you though the process was ludicrous, how about you get involved and try to change it?
The whole process, from beginning to end, was ludicrous and demonstrates that we need stronger (maybe more trained?) boards in place that can effectively carry out the building codes and fairly and timely deliver results to all involved.
I agree Carol did not mean any harm.
But then neither do those who for whatever reason choose to drive the wrong way on a parkway.
As a society we trust the other person to adhere to certain rules that govern us all.
How else can you trust that that other person approaching you at a closing speed of 80 to 120 mph will stay on his or her side of the white line?
Its all about trust and it is to the benefit of us all.
No Carol wasn’t going to wreck a car and the response in no way resmbles kristalnacht but arent we all part of the collateral damage when someone decides the rules don’t apply to them?
Same deal.
I was horrified as I watched this unfold but over time I realized that Carol didn’t mean any harm to Nyack. She had a vision. It didn’t work out. I wish you, Carol, the best. I still want those riding boots I saw in the window way back in June.
Kristallnacht…? Would the person who had the audacity, the ignorance, to compare this sorry episode to Kristallnacht please explain the correlation? This is the story of a delusional woman who refused to comply with a multitude of Village Building Codes, and who by the way, was granted more extensions than were truly necessary. The writing was on the wall long ago regarding Romp…so please don’t insult the memory of the victims of the holocaust by equating that horror to Carol Mcllmurrays ridiculous behavior over the past several months…goodbye, and good riddance to ‘Romp”…