Santa Fe Historic Board Says Pro-Palestinian Mural Must Go

| The board said that the decision was due to the material of the mural — papier maché, which is “inconsistent” with the aesthetics of the neighborhood — rather than the content. Miller called the ruling a “violation of his property rights, his First Amendment rights of public expression and free speech, the right not to have his art discriminated against and censored because of its content, and his right to participate in the rich art heritage and messaging through art in Santa Fe,” the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.

Yesterday, after their January 13 decision was appealed, the Santa Fe Historic Districts Review Board officially ruled that property owner Guthrie Miller must remove the public-facing mural on the corner of Old Pecos Trail and Camino Lejo, on Santa Fe’s east side. The mural, created by the artist Remy, depicts life-size renderings of photographs of Palestinian children and civilians facing soldiers from the Israel Defense Force, and sparked controversy in the city’s Jewish community. The board said that the decision was due to the material of the mural — papier maché, which is “inconsistent” with the aesthetics of the neighborhood — rather than the content. Miller called the ruling a “violation of his property rights, his First Amendment rights of public expression and free speech, the right not to have his art discriminated against and censored because of its content, and his right to participate in the rich art heritage and messaging through art in Santa Fe,” the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.