Freeman presses for another look at artists

As Historic City News reporters covered last night’s St. Augustine City Commission meeting, we heard Vice-Mayor Leanna Freeman made an appeal to take another look at limits on visual artists in public places.

“I’ve always felt we could treat them better than we have been,” she said at the close of Monday’s regular City Commission meeting. “I’d at least like to see more areas available in the Plaza for visual artists.”

In a series of legal battles in past years, the city reduced artist and commercial interests to ten spaces in the market building, selected by lottery. City Attorney Ron Brown said, “You can set up locations in other areas of the Plaza, but I caution, you are limited on what you can allow within those locations.”

Brown explained, “The limits in the Plaza affect constitutionally protected expressive activities and commercial activities without legally recognized expressive content. The issue is broader than visual artists. … The City can provide more spaces but cannot limit by content which expressive activities occur in those spaces.”

City staff has agreed to contact the commission members individually for their ideas, consult with the City Attorney, and to prepare a report of their findings for a later meeting.

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News staff photographer