Leaving The Beaver - Results Of The Mural Poll

Last week, Martinez Patch wrote a story about the . At the yesterday, several couples stopped by the mural to see, or actually not see, the missing creek dweller for themselves.

At the end of the story, we asked our users to weigh in on the matter – should the beaver be included in the mural, or was it not really part of the city’s history? The response was pretty indicative of the whole issue, really.

54 percent of the respondents said that the beaver image should be part of the mural, 41 percent said no, it should not. Five percent said they didn’t care one way or the other.

I don’t see this poll result as a statement about beavers, but more about public art. Of course, the beavers have managed to become politicized, as most things do here in Martinez. They are the subject of an ongoing debate about. . .  well, it’s not really clear what’s being debated, but there are those who love the beavers, and those who do not, for whatever reason.

The poll, on the other hand, was more about what happens when you open up an artist’s vision to public input. This mural is going to be on display for many years. It’s going to say something about what matters to the people of our city, right now. Which icons we consider worthy of inclusion in a nod to our history, for our children and their children to see after many of us are gone.

A majority think that rascally little beaver staring up at the Italian fisherman originally included in Mario Alfaro’s painting would have been a great addition, worthy of inclusion. A significant minority, however, felt that it was right for Main Street Martinez, the sponsors of the work, to ask its removal, because that is not what MSM or the City Council approved.

The artist did as his sponsor asked and removed the beaver. That is all part of the art game – you get paid to do something for someone, you have to do it. Or not do it, as the case may be. This is part of the dues you pay for being an artist – you don’t get to do what you want, when you want. When someone else is footing the bill, you do what they want. But when you throw the general public into the mix, things get very, very complicated.