Amid complaints that a granite sculpture in front of the county building resembles “male genitalia,” the San Benito County Board of Supervisors created an ad hoc committee to come up with a solution that may include removing the artworks completely or installing an informational plaque.
County administrative officer Ray Espinosa said the cost could range from $50,000 just to remove it to over $100,000 to remove and replace it with another art piece.
Supervisor Mindy Sotelo introduced Richard Deutsch during the April 11 board meeting as a world-renowned artist with 30 years experience that kicked off a discussion on whether one of his earliest granite sculptures was art or virtual signaling on the issue of sexual harassment.
In his presentation via Zoom, Deutsch said his early work, commissioned by the county 30 years ago, was in honor of Pinnacles National Monument (changed to a national park in 2013), which he said provided a “treasure trove of inspiration” that “put San Benito County on the national map.”
During his presentation he showed photos of various rock formations similar to the sculpture.
According to his personal website, Deutsch has been “committed to creating work that is thought-provoking and accessible and—through art’s intangible power—builds community and sustains interest over time.”
Opinions among members of the public and the board were in conflict regarding what one of the two granite sculptures in front of the county’s administration building is—art or pornography.
By today’s standards, yesterday’s art may be today’s pornography, or at least sexual harassment in the workplace, according to some who voiced their opinions during the board meeting. It was likened to a “phallic symbol” by resident Elia Salinas as the discussion centered on whether it was appropriate to keep it in place, move or destroy it.
Salinas, who has repeatedly asked the board to remove the sculpture, said the peaks shown in the photos must be located in some hidden corner of the park because she had never seen them during her many hikes there.
Cheryl Von Booth, introduced herself as “the daughter of an amazing artist,” who had visited many art museums. She said she realized not everyone sees the same thing in the sculpture and that she was sure everyone in the room had on-the-job sexual harassment training.
“We learned that sexual harassment refers to both unwelcome sexual advances in other visual, verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature and actions that create an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment,” she said as she held up a photo of the sculpture and likened it to drawing on a whiteboard in an office. “Under the visual umbrella, if you were to hang up a picture of a penis in your work cubicle or draw one on the whiteboard and an employee complained, you’d be in HR.”
She added that perpetrators of harassment are liable for damages, as are employers if they knew or should have known about the harassment and failed to take corrective action.
While Von Booth said every woman who has entered the building has been “subjected to sexual harassment,” Deputy County Counsel Shirley Murphy, speaking as a private citizen, disagreed.
“As a woman and as an employee who has worked in this building for 28 years, I’ve never found the sculpture out there offensive,” she said. “I think it’s cool. And I think that the context that was provided today showing pictures of actual peaks in the Pinnacles that contextualize it further supports the artist’s work and his vision.”
A caller named Jacob, who said he was 26, said the issue was “insanely juvenile.”
“I’ve lived in Hollister my whole life and I had no idea these things existed until recently when one of my friends brought it up,” he said. “We just couldn’t believe that this is actually being talked about and the county’s money is being allocated for something like this.”
Supervisor Angela Curro echoed Jacob’s opinion when she said she didn’t see the point of the supervisors using time and energy on the sculptures and that spending $50,000 to remove it was excessive.
She said since it was on the agenda she recommended the supervisors consider installing an informational plaque about the sculptures to make them not offensive.
“There are individuals that have been traumatized,” Curro said. “I have friends and family members that have gone through this with sexual harassment, with assault[s] from men, and it is difficult. When you’re reminded of these situations, even inadvertently, it is very difficult to deal with those situations and it brings up extremely bad and emotional feelings.”
Supervisor Kollin Kosmicki said in over 20 years of coming into the building he never thought the sculpture resembled male genitalia but said after hearing the comments he understands “why people would be offended by that.”
Still, he said he didn’t agree with removing the pieces citing potential cost.
“There’s absolutely no reason to believe the artist intentionally made this to resemble genitalia,” Kosmicki said. “It’s extremely unfair to make such an allegation. It’s really unfair to get into somebody’s head as far as the psychology they may have had 20 or 30 years ago. I just think that’s as absurd as some people think this conversation is.”
Supervisor Bea Gonzalez said even though the issue is complicated she did not want to be “accused of censoring the arts.” She said in talking with younger and senior citizens she was told it was “silly” and “there are more important things in the county we should be focusing on.”
Sotelo said she respects art but questioned the location of the sculptures.
“In some ways it’s a bit tasteless,” she said. “I can’t tell you how many comments I received by email. All of them were very strongly against this project. We can do better.”
The board voted 3-2, with Supervisors Dom Zanger and Kosmicki opposed, to create the ad hoc committee, which will purposefully consist of Zanger, who is in favor of leaving the sculpture, and Sotelo, who wants it removed or modified. Jennifer Laine, executive director of the County Arts Council, was also invited to participate in the committee’s discussions.
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