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Art that starts a conversation

Pride Month guerrilla art installation goes up, down and up again

contributed photos — Brock Storm’s Peace ribbon, created for Pride Month, adorns a tree at the intersection of East Park Street and Grand Avenue in Spencer. The four metal ribbons are marked with a number out of a total of five, which he said was a practical joke to waste the time of anyone wanting to take down the nonexistent fifth ribbon.

Before the sun had a chance to shine on the city of Spencer’s downtown district last Monday, Brock Storm, a Spencer High School alumnus and full-time artist, was clad in black and had made peace with the fact that his newest project could land him in serious trouble. The Everly-based artist, only weeks after completing artwork for the March for Justice for George Floyd protest, chose his next project by drawing upon the memory of the LGBTQS Alliance Group’s pride trees movement from June 2019 and the vandalism that followed, deciding to commemorate LGBTQ Pride Month in 2020 by creating art that would be much harder to damage.

“During the Black Lives Matter protest I noticed that there weren’t any pride ribbons hanging up around town,” Storm said. “It made me think back about last year when pride supporters took the time to show their support by displaying the ribbons on their properties, only to be cut down by locals. The senseless act of people cutting them down affected me in a way I didn’t expect, especially since the ribbons were a harmless act of support and free speech under the First Amendment.”

He noticed during the protest there were citizens of the community with weapons within arms-reach of the protesters.

“It was obvious that these people were there strictly for intimidation, not protection,” Storm said. “I love and support our local law enforcement, although I couldn’t help thinking that if this were a blue lives matter march and a bunch of outlaws decided they were going to show up with their guns to intimidate the protesters, would these armed men still be allowed to stand within arms reach of the police officers, their kids, wives, husbands, mothers, fathers and friends? The protest made me realize how close minded we are as a community. It also shined a light on how hard it would be to speak out for people of color and the LGBTQ community, when both movements are just fighting for acceptance and equality. As an artist I feel it is my job to create art that starts a conversation that otherwise wouldn’t have happened. I believe that art makes you think in the purest form, because when you look at a piece of art there are no outside influences, just you and your thoughts. It helps to identify ones true morals and values.”

While some of Storm’s past works of art have been visible to the public – at Arts on Grand or the mural which overlooks the parking lot on West Fourth Street and First Avenue West – the artwork Storm began to install onto city light posts under the cover of darkness at 4:30 a.m. on June 15 were four metal, rainbow ribbons emblazoned with their own unique word set in large type.

Spencer High School graduate and Everly based artist, Brock Storm.

“Guerrilla art is defined as a method of art where the artist leaves a piece or pieces of art in a public place, often the art is illegally installed in an unauthorized location, which typically results in being viewed by a larger audience to make a more public statement,” Storm said. “I was totally aware that what I did was illegal and was not going to be tolerated. I went into this thinking I would end up in jail for some kind of vandalism, but I know how bad my hometown needs this type of change. A night or two in jail to get my message across would be worth it to me. I placed my first one on the corner of West Park Street and Grand in front of the Heritage Center. I then staked out my second location on the corner of East Park Street and Grand close to the fire station. When the coast was clear I locked it in place and moved on to location number three, just south of the railroad tracks in front of Northwest Bank. I was most sketched out by the location I had chosen for the fourth and final ribbon. I installed the Equality ribbon just south of the Spencer police station parking lot.”

He said while constructing each ribbon he made sure to line the inside of the steel ribbons with carpet to protect the property.

“I also signed my name on each one so there would be no question as to who did it and also because I stand behind my action as an artist,” Storm said. “I painted clearly on each ribbon: temporary public art display, will be removed on 6-30-2020. The reason I chose to make them out of metal was to make them difficult to remove. I truly believe that everyone knows right from wrong. I wanted to see if the same people that were cutting the ribbons off last year would have nerve to show their faces while cutting them off with a bolt cutter or grinder as people of our community drove past on one of our busiest streets.”

The city of Spencer quickly took notice of its new art. Only five and a half hours after putting the artwork up, Storm’s phone rang. It was Spencer Mayor Kevin Robinson.

“For days while making the pride ribbons I had anticipated getting caught,” Storm said. “Although I was fearful of this moment, I knew it was inevitable and eventually I knew I would have to face the music. Throughout our conversation I was pleasantly surprised that instead of putting me in jail, Mayor Robinson extended his hand and wanted to help me. He informed me my ribbons were being taken down as we spoke, but would be given back to me. He allowed me to hang them in more legal places around town. He also mentioned that he believes this is something that should be archived and possibly one of the ribbons could end up at the Heritage Center, as this is a part of history, a change that is to hopefully soon to come to Spencer. Mayor Robinson was very understanding of the way I communicate my frustrations through my work. He also understood how I was trying to bring awareness to the fact, that with everything going on in the world we had forgotten about Pride Month.”

One of the four ribbons as it was attached prior to be taken down by the city.

Robinson addressed the situation later that night at the Spencer City Council meeting. The mayor pointed out the city’s vested interest in the arts, through the reorganization of committees including a committee dealing with culture, city goals concerning public art and the city’s annual investment of $200,000 to $250,000 per year into local organizations of which he said many dealt in the subject of arts, culture and awareness.

Today, Storm’s Pride Month art can be spotted across town – on the corner of East Park Street and Grand Avenue, in the front window of Arts on Grand and on the corner of Northwest Bank. The artist said the artistic journey has restored a little bit of his faith in humanity and said his future plans are to continue making art that inspires and influences others and myself.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive, Storm said.

“My overall goal was to show the members of our community that even with everything going on in the world, that Pride Month had not been and will not be forgotten. I also wanted to show people that even as a straight man I can support and fight for the rights of the LGBTQ community because it’s the right thing to do. Love is love.”

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