When she planted crocus bulbs in Mount Vernon Place, Amanda Johnson was looking forward to seeing them bloom in spring - "just a few little flowers to give me hope every morning as I walk to work," she said.
This week though, and through March 29, what Johnson and other residents who live along the park's four grassy squares are seeing is a 7-foot-tall chain-link fence, spray-painted gold, that has essentially shut down the park.
The gold fence - a work the artist says is intended to increase public appreciation for the park - is the first phase of an outdoor exhibit that will be on display through late May.
But since the weekend, when the fence closed off access to what is considered one of the more scenic spots in Baltimore, many nearby residents and other frequent users of the park have complained that public art should not take priority over public access.
"I want to be open-minded; I'm an artist myself," said Johnson, 35. "But the fact that the park will be closed on the first day of spring - it just feels like they're taking something away. The project is supposed to be all about appreciating the beautiful park, but I don't appreciate a big, bold, tacky, radiator gold fence.
"To me, it's a little vain - and is more about trying to get attention and create a hype than it is about art," she added.
Art versus access
City Council member William H. Cole IV, after fielding complaints from citizens yesterday, said he intended to review the city permits issued to the Maryland Institute College of Art and the Walters Art Museum, which sponsored the project. He also filed a request yesterday, asking the parks department to open one of the four squares to the public.
"I'm not against art," he said. "I think it's wonderful, but I don't understand how you can close off what is really the only green space within blocks - all four spots. That part is a bit troubling."
The exhibit, Beyond the Compass, Beyond the Square, was approved by the city Department of Transportation, city Department of Recreation and Parks and the City Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation.
Increasing public appreciation for the park and provoking discussion were the aims of Lee B. Freeman, the MICA student responsible for the fence. But he may be getting a more vitriolic response than he bargained for, as debate over the fence rages from the street corners of Mount Vernon to the comments sections of local blogs.
