Field Note: As the sun's light was hitting the golden hour I was near one of my favorite pieces, "Will Rogers Monument" (1998-1999) by Kent Twitchell. It is made of two portraitures; the east side shows Rogers in his performance years: the image of a cowboy looking back with wise eyes. On the west side Twitchell captured Rogers’ mischief as a political commentator. He has been quoted to  have said "I belong to no organized party. I am a Democrat" and  "There's no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you." Imagine the witticisms from Rogers that would inspired by today’s political climate. 

I found out details about the mural itself for a 2012 post at KCET:

The two murals, titled  "Will Rogers Monument," were profiled in the San Bernardino Sun and stated that not only did the humorist  make several appearances in the inland region, his last live performance was at the California Theatre was June 28, 1935. Rogers and his friend, aviator Wiley Post, died six weeks later when their plane crashed in Alaska.
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"Will Rogers Monument" is on two sides of the California Theatre, located at 562 West 4th Street, in San Bernardino, California. 


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This isn't random vandalism. It’s deliberate censorship.

Public art on South Maryland Parkway has been vandalized and it’s not the usual suspects. There are no signs of territorial tagging. The boxes were painted over in an official-looking beige to whitewash an idea.

“It's shameful that someone decided to vandalize this public art,” says Chris Giunchigliani, Clark County Commissioner. “This piece was lovely and it wasn't tagged, it was completely painted over which shows someone personally didn't want it to be seen by the public.”

While the beige appears to match the original color of the utility box, the whitewash was not “done by the County or the box owner the Las Vegas Valley Water District,” said Michael Ogilvie, Public Art Cultural Specialist for Clark County. “It is an act of vandalism and a police report has been filed.” The investigation is still underway.

During the planning stages of ZAP 7, the Clark County Parks and Recreation funded public art program, an undisclosed business owner protested the design's use of a black figure, according to several sources. Clark County organizers supported Smith's concept, titled “Lady of Maryland Parkway.” 

There was a message in this ZAP 7 public art commission, says artist Lance Smith. “Representation. I see it as imperative for people of color to see some semblance of themselves represented in the everyday.”  There are still traces of left behind.  Near the edges and door handles are traces of blues used by the artist.  On a smaller box a painted perched bird is untouched.

ZAP 7 organizers will begin restoring the public art Friday.

ADD JUNE 16: "Business owner denies involvement in painting over Zap Project artwork" is the compelling headline in the Las Vegas Review Journal. F. Andrew Taylor reports:  

The whitewash would not likely wouldn’t be prosecuted as graffiti, reports Taylor, "but as a gross misdemeanor for destruction of private property." Klein has been interviewed by The Metropolitan Police Department. 

ANOTHER ADD JUNE 16:  This whitewash of Lance Smith's mural was without a 90 day notice. which brings attention to how these works, as part of a public art initiative, may be protected by The Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990. They were commissioned with the intent of being public art, and the series of works have gained regional stature, destruction could be more than a ​misdemeanor. 

ADD JUNE 22: KNPR interviews Lance Smith on the first day of the restoration of his public art. You can listen to it at KNPR. 

A landmark mural in Downtown Los Angeles was whitewashed in 2006. A new version will soon be going up in LA's Arts District. It's not a Las Vegas story, but I am pleased to pass on a link to my post at Hyperallergic.
Whitewashed Portrait Mural of Ed Ruscha Will Be Reborn, Older and Wiser