“Much of the history of Boone County was not inspiring or pleasing.”
That’s how Boone County Commissioner Dan Atwill opened public comment on the issue of whether to remove two murals hanging in the stairwell of the county courthouse.
About three dozen people attended Tuesday night’s meeting of the Boone County Commission and shared their opinions on the murals while the art was displayed on the hearing room’s projector. Atwill said the commission will make a decision on the removal request at a later meeting.
The murals were created in conjunction with the expansion of the courthouse in 1994. Designed and painted by Sid Larson, they show a variety of scenes, some graphic, from Boone County history.
Gary Oxenhandler and Rusty Antel, two members of the Boone County Bar Association, initiated a discussion about the murals when they sent a letter the commissioners earlier this month asking for them to be removed.
Antel told the commissioners Tuesday evening that they aren’t advocating for the murals to be destroyed or discarded. Rather, they should be moved to a more appropriate venue, like a museum or historical society — not a place where justice is served.
“The location in the courthouse is inappropriate in 2021,” Antel said.
Antel and Oxenhandler specifically take issue with a part of one painting that depicts the hanging and whipping of an individual by a law enforcement officer. A plaque near the murals in the courthouse describe that scene as “early justice.”
“What’s depicted in these murals is squarely contrary to the court’s mission.”Attorney Rusty Antel
Antel previously told the Missourian that the murals show extrajudicial punishment that is no longer practiced. He worries about the message that sends to courthouse visitors seeking their own justice.
“What’s depicted in these murals is squarely contrary to the court’s mission,” Antel said.
Gary Oxenhandler opened his comments Tuesday by apologizing for not taking action on the murals sooner. Oxenhandler, a former circuit court judge, told commissioners he fears if the murals are not removed, they will divide Columbia and the county.
Bill Powell, another area lawyer, wrote the commissioners making the case for the murals to remain. He believes they can remind those who work in the legal profession of the importance of their work.
Speaking Tuesday night, Powell said the murals were “not celebrating or being nostalgic about injustices of the past.”
He took issue with those who are making the murals a symbol of injustice and asked the commissioners to tread cautiously.
“Your role is not to bless or curse any particular artistic work,” Powell said.
Communities across the nation are reevaluating public art erected in another era.
The heart of this issue for Boone County residents seems to be how art can be interpreted differently. Some speakers decried the murals as racist or problematic; others said they are an accurate representation of the area’s complicated history.
“They are offensive to people of color, I promise you that."State Rep. David Tyson Smith
The mural that hangs in the first floor stairwell shows a Native American man up in a tree while Bill Callahan, hunter and “Indian fighter,” points a gun at him.
Both murals have images of enslaved Black men contributing to the construction of Boone County.
State Rep. David Tyson Smith said regardless of the art’s intention, the murals’ images are offensive. He said they give the wrong first impression to courthouse visitors.
“They are offensive to people of color, I promise you that,” Smith said.
Attorney Kevin O’Brien told those gathered Tuesday evening that the murals defeat what the U.S. Constitution stands for.
“These murals undermine our ability to connect with clients,” said O’Brien, a public defender.
O’Brien also said the murals undermine the attorneys of color in his office, and he reminded those present that Black people do not only enter the courthouse as accused criminals.
Many speakers addressed their reactions when viewing the murals. Community member Sheila Plummer said, “I feel like somebody has just socked me in the gut every single time.”
As custodians of county property, the fate of the murals lies with the Boone County commissioners: Atwill, Justin Aldred and Janet Thompson.
Sydney Young got emotional when speaking about Sidney Larsen because she was named after him. She thought of him as a grandfather.
Young said she believed that the murals were educational and emotion provoking, but that those entering the courthouse are typically not in the headspace to be educated.
They are usually vulnerable and may be experiencing the most dramatic day of their lives, Young said. Because of this, she supported moving the murals someplace where they can reach the most people who are in the headspace to learn about the history depicted in the art.
Her father, Larry Young, was mentored by Larsen and disagreed with his daughter. He expressed that the murals are important reminders for law enforcement and lawyers to see and be reminded of what happened in the past, so it does not repeat itself.
The commissioners also offered a time to speak to any of those listening on the phone. Ian Kleekamp was the only one to voice concerns that way. He made the argument that the depictions in the murals are not accurate and artwork in the courthouse should show local lawyers and heroes. He said he was not opposed to painting over the murals.
The Boone County Juvenile Office is located on the lower level of the courthouse. Some speakers at Tuesday's meeting expressed concern about the impression the murals may give children. Attorney Casey Berndt said she has seen youngsters examining the murals while waiting for their case to be called.
Chimene Schwach, advocacy supervisor for Court Appointed Special Advocates or CASA, pointed out the historical inaccuracy of the Native American man depicted in the painting: he is wearing moccasins and hair is shown with a Mohawk style, but Mohawk people were not in this region nor is the depiction how Native Americans in Missouri dressed.
Close to two dozen people spoke, the majority being favor of removing the murals from the courthouse.
Larson taught art at Columbia College. He served as chair of the Art Department and retired in 2001 after 50 years. He died in 2009.
