Editorial: Elgin mural discussion needed, but it's a decade late

For at least 10 years, no one publicly questioned a mural placed in downtown Elgin. With no sign explaining it, those who passed it on a pedestrian walkway were unaware of the source of the painting.

That was until this week when a St. Charles man recognized the image as part of a famous photograph of a 1930 Indiana lynching of two black men. The mural depicts only the crowd that gathered to watch, not the bodies of the men hanging from trees.

Immediately, questions surfaced. Why was that image in downtown Elgin? What's the meaning? Why would the city commission it?

All great questions. And amazingly, city officials didn't know.

"I had never known the story behind the mural," said Elgin Councilwoman Tish Powell. " ... I am also interested in knowing what the artist's intentions were in painting this."

And if city officials had asked questions a decade ago, would it have still moved forward with the mural?

"I think that's a really good question,' said Mayor David Kaptain. "I think that's a question the community should try to resolve."

OK. Yes, it should. The city already has decided to move the mural to an indoor public location as one answer to the controversy. But shouldn't the city have asked 10 years ago about the mural? And shouldn't it have some sort of policy moving forward for any more future commissioned works of art paid for with public dollars or placed on public property? The answers are yes, the city should know what it's getting and why. And it should be explained to the public.

"I'm OK with it there, but there needs to be an explanation, or an artist's statement about it, so we understand the context of it," said Richard Farr of Elgin who was one of the men who brought it to the public's attention this week.

We agree.

With the controversy stirred, Elgin artist David Powers offered his reasoning for the mural this week: "If you don't look evil right in the face, that evil that in your country still exists and that in some quarters still agitates - it will happen again."

Two community discussions about the mural, what it represents and what it says about Elgin will be held at 7 p.m. June 7 at The Centre of Elgin's Heritage Ballroom, 100 Symphony Way and 7 p.m. June 13 at city hall, 150 Dexter Court. Hopefully all will have a chance to explain their feelings about what that mural represents to them. That's what art is supposed to do, move people to react.

It's just coming a decade later than it should have for this piece.