Nothing is seemingly straightforward when it comes to the government, even when someone is trying to donate something to it. But after a round of discussion and a bit of hemming and hawing, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors recently voted unanimously to accept Valerie Egland’s gift of a hand-carved wooden plaque of the county seal.
Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz was the first to question if the proposed gift would commit the county to spending money or making space available to display it. Louie Valdez, county analyst, told Cruz he wasn’t aware of a dollar value, but said wall space would be required to display it once Egland finishes her project.
“The board ultimately decides if we want to put a placard (plaque) or anything up in the boardroom,” he said.
Supervisor Anthony Botelho said Egland approached him to see if the county would be open to displaying her artwork.
“I’ve seen some of her other work and it’s quite impressive,” he said. “I think it would be an enhancement of our boardroom to have a little bit of a display. I’m very proud of our emblem, of our county, the diversity of our rural character. Ms. Egland is quite the artist and is willing to do this on her own with no financial commitment by the county. It’s just a gift from one of our constituents.”
Valdez commented that the proposed gift has brought to light an issue that there is no standard board policy addressing the acceptance of artist donations.
“Obviously, the placard (plaque) is a reflection of the county seal, but it is Ms. Egland’s interpretation,” he said. “The issue then becomes if the board accepts Ms. Egland’s rendering, is the county obligated to accept other renderings without any kind of a way to measure that acceptance?”
Valdez said the decision is a constitutional issue for the board and other government entities. Botelho said that was why he added it to the board’s agenda for discussion. He compared Egland’s plaque to the county flag that stands behind the board members, stating that one of the local youth clubs had been commissioned to have it made.
“This is the process,” he said. “Ms. Egland hasn’t started this work. This is a year-long project if we accept. Keep in mind this is a wood carving. It will be about a two-foot diameter display made of wood that originated in San Benito County. It’s a 3-D type of effect.”
The only difference between Egland’s rendition and that of the official seal was that her’s was more accurate in that the many open doorways along the colonnade of the Mission San Juan Bautista are square-topped in the county seal, when in fact they’re actually curved arches, which her artwork depicts, Valdez said.
He said he hoped the plaque would hang on the chamber walls for the next 100 years. Valdez said the official seal depicted two crosses on the Mission and that an argument could be made against such religious depictions. He said the board could argue, if needed, that there are traditions of civic religion where there are benign displays of historical renderings.
Supervisor Jerry Muenzer said he sees the situation simply as an artist wanting to do her version of the seal, not to change it.
“If this is her interpretation of our seal as an artist, I have no problem with that,” he said.
Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz said he wanted to play the devil’s advocate by asking, “If someone’s art can be their difference of opinion we are now going into a subjective arena, which we never should. If another one comes in and it starts moving the pendulum a little to the left or right, where do you draw a point and where can we get into a legal issue?”
Supervisor Robert Rivas commended Egland and hoped the community appreciates her offer. Practically, he said it would be good to cover the bare walls of the county chambers with artwork so it “…doesn’t feel like an insane asylum.” He suggested that high school students be encouraged to provide similar artworks for the county.
“I work in an office environment at San Benito High School and it’s refreshing that every school year we get new art from our students and they put it up on the walls,” Rivas said. “Maybe we could start that tradition here with this very agenda item. I doubt that this is a situation that would go to the Supreme Court, but if it does, so be it.”
Botelho said that in his district, which includes San Juan Bautista, art and culture is a big deal.
“We have a culture and history that supersedes any sort of religious conflicts of renderings of a historical building, that’s what it comes down to,” Botelho said. “It’s a historical building that was built by Native Americans that lived here at that time and is a centerpiece of our community. We’re not a rich county and donations of art is a big deal for us. It’s an opportunity that only comes around once in a while.”
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