Ed. Note: A downtown organization has reportedly offered a reward for information leading to the arrest of the street artist Priest. Mod Mobilian will will continue to pursue this story as it develops.
Kudos, Mobile.
Every time there is something positive that Mod Vowel wants to talk about, it gets over shadowed by some bonehead move by the out of touch folks in our community.
A one hundred dollar reward for the arrest of Priest? Really? You have got to be kidding. For some of you who aren’t familiar with Priest, check out some of his stuff on this site. Mod Vowel would direct you where to go downtown to see his art first hand but alas the fine folks of Mobile have already had his installation around the Crescent Theater painted over. It didn’t even take a week before the Downtown Alliance painted patches of white paint over the work.
While Mod Vowel doesn’t want to see the whole of downtown’s classic buildings covered in graffiti, does the city have the right to paint over graffiti on someone else’s property? The thing is that Priest, whoever they are, has talent. If buildings that the city or private owners don’t seem to care about can be utilized for artistic and occasionally socially-relevant purposes, what is so wrong with that?
And where are the mysterious Downtown Glorification Squad people when we are having to tell folks who “just want to smoke the rest of the cigarette if you aren’t going to finish it” to buzz off? Probably off counting parking ticket money and cackling.
Recently, downtown business owners and patrons have hit up Facebook, the place where all good things happen, to raise awareness of the increasing problem with panhandlers. David Rasp, owner of Heroes on Dauphin, has the cameras rolling all the time in the absence of police presence in downtown. The End Panhandling in Downtown Mobile group states , “This group wants to eliminate the problem of panhandling in downtown Mobile with a two-pronged approach:
Inform the general public that giving to panhandlers does damage to the businesses in the area AND panhandlers themselves (they are not buying fresh fruits and vegetables with the money you give them!).
Encourage an increased law enforcement presence in areas where these individuals operate. This would clearly include Bienville Square, Cathedral Square and the entire Lower Dauphin Street entertainment district including the retail areas and all hotels/tourist attractions.”
If you befriend the facebook site, you will see that these folks mean business. As I am writing this column, 565 people have joined the group. Mod Vowel is one of them. While it is a tricky situation, they seem to be approaching it in the correct manner and they have their proof. They are taking video, snapping pictures with camera phones and welcoming first hand experiences to be logged onto the wall.
Which brings up back to Priest. This artist took the “Keep Mobile Beautiful” logo, added “downtown” in red letters and illustrated one of the many inhabitants of Bienville Square. Mod Vowel has not had a chance to swing back by and make sure it is still there and not slopped over with white paint because it is “so offensive”.
To the folks in charge of taking care of downtown Mobile, from the Downtown HooHa folks to the cops – make an aggressive plan to handle the panhandlers downtown and stick to it. Otherwise it is going to fall to the business owners to do whatever possible to keep their patrons coming back. And when patrons leave downtown Mobile, it is bad for all of us.
Coming up next week, the weekend in Mobile that will be dominated by local bands and the Alabama Music Box.
