By now we have all seen the mural/sign /outrage /painting / advertising /eyesore /trippiest thing inside of Walla Walla (besides the absurdly small downtown hangout/drug store for gangs) that is the giant octopus on the toy store, The Inland Octopus. The goal of The Inland Octopus is to be the greatest toy store in the world. Ask any kid and they'll tell you that they would rather go to a store with an octopus on the outside than one with a drab exterior. But then again, kid favorite, Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, had a relatively plain exterior and was not that the best chocolate factory in the world? This choice of paint can be vital to a small business' survival in these rough economic times and to those who love America, this is a top priority; however, to those who simply love Walla Walla and its quaint "artistic downtown," it is an eyesore and against code.
This battle for a small business' survival then turns into a much larger argument of First Amendment rights and code interpretation. Proper protocol was followed at first and would not have been a problem had no one complained. "I (the owner) showed this picture to a city official who administers the sign code on a daily basis. His assessment was that the verbage at the bottom was a sign and the mural itself was not." Now that there are complaints, the city has redefined its interpretation of "sign" and has stated that the mural is indeed one. A sign is defined in Walla Walla Municipal Code 20.204.04 as
“Sign” means any device, structure, fixture (including the supporting structure) or any other surface that identifies, advertises and/or promotes an activity, product, service, place, business, political or social point of view, or any other thing.
With this definition the city is perfectly in its limits to declare the mural a sign and see to its removal. Opponents of the Inland Octopus may just see his defense of the First Amendment as another attempt of Obama's big government getting in the way of state's rights and to delve even further, in the way of their everyday life. And we can't let government control our lives now can we?
Shauna Halley Walsh
ReplyDeleteTuesday, October 12, 2010 at 11:15am
To: The Editor- Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
It is not often that I find myself compelled to write a letter to the editor, but as my Facebook homepage buzzed this past week with differing opinions regarding the mural outside The Inland Octopus Toy Store, I decided to write. What is art? A lot of the negativity surrounding the mural is opinions stating that ‘it is an eyesore,’ or ‘just plain ugly.’ So does ugly count as art? If so, who is responsible for making this determination of aesthetic value? Anything can be art. Just because one person thinks that the mural is ugly, it doesn't mean that everyone else does. It's a mural on the façade of a toy store. I view it from a whimsical approach, not as a contender against the work of Van Gogh or Da Vinci. Not everyone is going to like the giant Octopus mural downtown, but does that mean that the voices of the people who do appreciate it should be ignored? I am also aware that there are certain guidelines that are enforced in keeping with the historic accuracy of the downtown Walla Walla buildings. I love downtown Walla Walla. I was born and raised here, and after traveling and seeing other towns and cities, I appreciate its historic beauty more than ever. That being said, I was also a child in Walla Walla, and I know how limited the options can be for children growing up here in terms of attractions geared toward their age group. Especially with the inundation of wonderful wineries, tasting rooms, and fine dining restaurants, our downtown has become even more marketed toward adults and the over-21 crowd than ever before. As for my own opinion on the mural, I think it is an effective form of advertising for The Inland Octopus. It is colorful, whimsical like a child's artwork, and is OBVIOUSLY an eye-catching conversation starter as has recently been made evident on facebook and other public media forums. The last thing Walla Walla needs is its’ residents attacking one of the small private businesses we pride ourselves on having in abundance, let alone one of the VERY few businesses we have catering to the children of the area. Before you decide to let your opinions be known about the Inland Octopus mural, please take the time to put yourselves in another, much smaller pair of shoes; the shoes of a Walla Walla child.
Thank you,
Shauna Walsh
Well-said Shauna! I think that the mural is great. Even as an adult (most of the time) I can appreciate the magic of the Inland Octopus and usually pop in if I'm walking by just to peruse and enjoy myself.
ReplyDeleteAnd for anyone else who feels the same way- you can go in and buy postcard, shirts, stickers etc to support the "save the octopus" fund. I did :)
I don't think you can play Metalica at a Creed concert. Even if everyone's wearing black.
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