To:             <byron@byronsphotography.ca>, <mayor@mississauga.ca>, <carmen.corbasson@mississauga.ca>
Subject:         Port Credit BIA & censorship.
 

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From:         "Port Credit" <info@portcredit.com>
Subject:     my vote
Date:         Wed, 2 Nov 2005
 

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  Toronto Star Nov. 4, 2005  - GTA section, second last page - By Mike Funston, Staff Reporter.

Group threatened legal action
Artist believes he's getting bum's rush

A sinister-looking painting of Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion was removed from a photographer's shop window after the Port Credit Business Improvement Association threatened legal action.

The threat didn't originate with her, said McCallion, who had a laugh over the portrait.

"I don't know this gentleman at all, [6] but from what I've heard he's somewhat interesting," she said yesterday.

Lawyer Marilyn Sparrow wrote a letter to Byron Osmond at Foto Galleries 4 on Lakeshore Rd. E. ordering him to remove the painting from the window by Oct. 27. After ignoring the deadline Osmond moved the portrait, which he painted, on Tuesday rather than face a lawsuit, he said. It had been in the window for a week.

"The current window display, with references to the Port Credit BIA and Mayor Hazel McCallion who has served this city as mayor for over 27 years, is offensive to the entire community," Sparrow wrote.

Osmond, a BIA member, said he was trying to make the mayor look powerful, not sinister. "I didn't do it to offend the mayor. I didn't put in a lot of wrinkles."

Osmond and the group have had a long-running feud. He offers nude family photography for naturists, and he believes the association doesn't approve.

He said he was left out of the Mississauga Arts Guide by the association and it has cost him an estimated $80,000 in business. So he painted the McCallion portrait dubbed "1984" and put a price tag of $80,000 on it.

Osmond believes the association is run by a clique and doesn't do enough to attract shoppers to Port Credit.

He also ran a Best Bum contest, inviting residents to have their bottoms photographed.

Osmond said he's moving his business out of Port Credit.

The association did not respond to an interview request yesterday.

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The Mississauga News  - Nov 4, 2005 - Front page - By Craig MacBride and Declan Finucane, staff.

Making a statement - Byron Osmond sits in front of his infamous painting of Hazel McCallion that the Port Credit Business Improvement Association pressured him to remove from his gallery window.      Staff photo by Fred Loek.

Portrait of McCallion causes controversy

    A controversial painting of Mayor Hazel McCallion deemed offensive by some people in the city is eliciting a tamer response from none other than the subject herself.

    "He's free to paint whatever picture he wants...I'm surprised the press is making so much fuss about it," a somewhat amused McCallion told The News last night.  "I believe it's a big joke...I consider it (to be comparable to) a cartoon."

    The eye-catching portrait, displayed by Port Credit store owner Byron Osmond in his shop's window, depicts McCallion as a purple-haired, hunched and angry-looking mayor.  Titled "1984," the piece references George Orwell's famed book about Big Brother, an omnipotent ruler and controller.  His ideas are outlined in a poster accompanying the portrait.

    Osmond, the owner of Byron's Photography, said he placed the painting and poster in his window to point out how the municipality has abandoned the Port Credit small business community.

    Such a notion is no laughing matter, said McCallion, noting she has not met Osmond [6] nor is she familiar with his business concerns. BIA, she is willing to listen.

    "I meet with everybody.  My door is always open," said McCallion, adding she and the City of Mississauga support local business associations.

    "I think he's got a beef with the Port Credit BIA (Business Improvement Area), but I don't know what it's all about."

    The Port Credit Business Improvement Area (BIA) says it's the poster, and not the painting, with which it has a problem.

    That's the word from Marion Klinnert, chair of the BIA and owner of Private Moments Lingerie.

    "He's basically slandering the BIA, saying they made him lose money," she said.  "Some people love the picture of the mayor, some people hate it.  I'm not an art critic, I sell underwear for a living."

    Osmond was upset about what he felt was unjust censorship after the BIA forced him to take down the portrait of the mayor because they deemed it to be "offensive."

    Osmond received a letter from the BIA's lawyer on Oct. 26 demanding he take the painting out of his storefront window.

    Osmond said he hoped his painting would draw attention to a hurting Port Credit small business community that he claims has been neglected by both the City and the BIA.

    The letter from the BIA's lawyer, Marilyn Sparrow, charges the window display "is offensive to the entire community."

    According to some people, that's not the case.

    Andrej Petricko, a Port Credit resident, didn't particularly like the painting, but it doesn't offend him.

    "When I saw it in the newspaper, I came by to see, what was all the fuss," he said. "Before I dedicated five seconds to the painting, now I dedicate 30 minutes."

    After reading Osmond's statement in the window, he added: "I hope he's not leaving.  He's got great stuff."

    After a decade in his shop and

    See Artist page 5 - [ page 5 ]            Owner says he's done      Continued from page 1

studio, where Osmond sells frames and shoots portraits, the photographer has decided to give up doing business in Mississauga.

    "I'm done," he said.  "They've made it very clear, don't stick around where you're not wanted."

    Osmond said he's not making any money and he blames the BIA and the City for a lack of promotion and support.

    The City has allowed small business-killing big box stores to move in, he said, and now the only people who shop in Port Credit are "the ice cream lickers and coffee drinkers."

    McCallion, while sympathetic, said "...we're in a competitive world.  We can't control everything."

    The painting itself sends a very definite message, said the artist.  The purple hair depicts McCallion as dated, but the red in the background emphasizes her strength.

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Comments;

[6] - These comments appear to be from Hazel McCallion "I don't know this gentleman at all," & "noting she has not met Osmond", a person would think the Mayor of Mississauga has been in the same room as Mr. Osmond.  However, there is a very nice portrait of her, that he shot of her, in his studio, on display in his shop - how did that happen?  It would appear that either our dear old Mayor does not remember having her portrait being taken or just saying what a politician would to avoid an issue, even if it is false.

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The Mississauga News Internet version, Nov 4, 2005;

"Should a Port Credit shop owner be forced to remove this painting of Mayor Hazel McCallion from his store window?"

A Port Credit business owner is crying censorship after the local Business Improvement Area forced him to take down what they deemed "offensive" portrait of Mayor Hazel McCallion.  Byron Osmond, owner of Byron's Photography, received a letter from the BIA's lawyer on Oct. 26 demanding he take the painting out of his storefront window.  The portrait depicts McCallion as a purple-haired, hunched and angry-looking mayor.  Titled "1984," the title references George Orwell's famed book about Big Brother, an omnipotent ruler and controller.  Osmond told The National Post the painting was meant to draw attention to McCallion's neglect of the art community in Mississauga.

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The results of the Mississauga News' Internet voting - Last results I got from the Mississauga News web-site were;

No                 184          80.7%
Undecided        8            3.5%
Yes                 36           15.8%

Total number of votes: 228

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The Mississauga News  - Nov 4, 2005 - By unknown.

Editorial - (it is posted on the Internet first in part & then complete, after ****)

The Port Credit BIA has overstepped its bounds and, in doing so, relegated itself as a petty little group that believes it can foist its own narrow perspective on local businesses.

Generally not known as a small-minded organization, the BIA resorted to censorship and bully tactics when it insisted a photographer remove a painting from his shop window.

The painting, which depicts an artistic likeness of Mayor Hazel McCallion, is likely to be offensive to many members of the community, claims BIA chair Marion Klinnert, owner of a lingerie store.

Byron Osmond, owner of Byron's Photography, reluctantly withdrew the painting from his store window after a BIA lawyer served him with a letter demanding its removal.

The painting, a stylized head-and-shoulders image of the mayor, is not particularly flattering, but it's certainly not offensive.

BIA members have clearly overstepped their mandate, which is, "to improve, beautify and maintain public lands and buildings within the BIA, beyond that which is provided by the municipality at large, and to promote the area as a business and shopping area."

The BIA has absolutely no right -- legal, ethical or moral -- to enforce either its narrow perspective of art or its obsequious reverence for the mayor on anyone.

Censorship, certainly at this level, should not be tolerated or allowed.
 

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An other web-page to testify as to the sad state of the Art in Mississauga.

Sculpture Court at Mississauga City hall - eliminated!

Make way for the new priority for City politicians - over Arts & Culture in Mississauga - Skateboarding!

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Mississauga Quarterly - Fall 2005 - Below is as printed, on page 53 & 54, but as scanned copy could be errors.
BY: AMY DOOLITTLE

Verbatim ~ reprinted with permission of the author               [ a Mississauga Quarterly statement  ]

Mayor McCallion appointed a Blue Ribbon Panel to review the future sustainability of arts organizations and activities in Mississauga.  Members of the citizen panel, include 13 leaders from the corporate, education, arts and volunteer sectors.  Interested parties were invited to present their thoughts, ideas and expectations to the Panel.  This is one presentation, by Amy Doolittle, one of Mississauga's most qualified and active arts managers, artists and administrators.

The members of the Task Force for the Arts. {picture not enclosed}
From left to right: John Alexander, Luz Del Rosario (in front), Harry Dhaliwal, Bob Gillespie, Bonnie Crombie, John Needham (in back), Bob Richards. Absent from the picture are: Mick Dhillon, Bill Star and David Waye

PRESENTATION TO THE MISSISSAUGA TASK FORCE FOR THE ARTS June 13, 2005
Culture is a service of the community and serves as a humanizing factor. Yes, a city requires strategic plans, a stable tax base, and fiscal responsibility but is also, needs balance as a community with soul and its own identity.  It also needs a positive attitude and atmosphere to thrive.

AS writer Robert Thompson points out, "Artists must be outrageous.  Society depends upon it.
Writers, painters, and innovative thinkers have been banned, banished, tortured and executed because of their outrageous ideas.   "State Sanctioned" art has been turned into an opiate for the masses.  When it is chosen by a few elite or manipulated to contain soothing and calming messages, emotions can be controlled and divergent thinking kept to a minimum.  Artists remind us that there are other views to the world".

I say Artists are not economic machines maximizing income, in fact, the arts as a business is one of the hardest to achieve success.  Arts and Heritage are taken for granted by many, or worse, are considered a waste of taxpayer's money, however, our collective disposable income dollars  dedicated to them fall into these areas a significant amount of the time.  Exhaustive research supports more dynamic and vital communities exist when arts are present.

What artists are and their role in Mississauga seems to be at logger heads with what local government perceives it to be.  The fractured and bitterly political atmosphere has sabotaged years of grass roots arts development, sowed deep mistrust, and usurps energy better spent on producing good art.  As Roger Ebert, film critic says, "Objectivity is impossible in the arts."  In this parochial city, if one doesn't understand it, one opposes it.  If it isn't good for the bottom line, then it isn't good.  Period.

Mayor McCallion has proudly stated that she runs Mississauga's finances like her own household.  I say she is a wealthy and miserly matriarch.  The city's cultural development has been paralyzed by her limited cultural vision and she governs by fear, intimidation and threat.

The arts receive lip service and we are told over an over again that the city cares but without tangible opportunities, venues and financial support, arts, and heritage growth under a cultural banner will not be achieved.  The amount of true funding for the arts in a city the size of Mississauga is an embarrassment.  The arts facilities available to the citizens of the city are inadequate or too expensive to accommodate the groups that continue to operate despite the obstacles put in their path.  Arts groups are constantly forced to fight uphill battles and justify their existence.

This city needs long-term cultural vision.  If culture is perceived as important from the top down, then policies such as percent for art can be embraced and enforced.  The city needs cultural grants for individuals as a tangible way of supporting local people with real jobs and  opportunities.  The city needs artist in residency programs, artist symposiums and public art.   Who is nurturing the arts in youth?  Where are the arts education programs?  Who are the audiences of the future?

A city is more than just cement and shopping malls.  It needs pedestrian friendly, public squares and commercial streets.  Tourism is fueled by events and attractions.  Identity is made by celebrating what a place has to offer to the outside world.  Mississauga is 30 years old and did not have a tourism initiative until 4 years ago, too little too late.

It seems that achievements out-side the city do not register and make an impact.  The local media is Mississauga-centric and tends not to publish artistic achievements attained outside its borders.  Artists can and should be treasured and promoted as ambassadors abroad.  Instead, artists seek work elsewhere as opportunities to earn a living here are extremely limited.  They often do not tell international audiences that they are from Mississauga as it is too embarrassing.

The corporate members of the city, of course, are vital in building cultural relationships.  City Hall strong arms businesses into shouldering many initiatives that should be supported  by city dollars.  Corporate donor fatigue for dollars, time, board members and materials is rampant here leaving community groups even further alienated.  Artist donor fatigue is also rampant and, frankly, insulting.  Artists are forever being asked to donate for "exposure".   Artists die from  "exposure".  You can't pay your bills with "exposure".

If the insidious negative cultural climate here doesn't change, we risk the ultimate question; who cares?  Mississauga's legacy will be the best suburbia in the history of this country and many artists' favorite part of it will be the westbound ramp to the 401.