Image Credit: SUBMITTED: Vernon Public Art Gallery

Staff at Vernon's City Hall are recommending council scrap the controversial Behind the Mask mural project.

In a report to council, city staff recommend that council do not support placing the murals on city or privately owned buildings and not fund the project.

The controversial art project was originally supported unanimously by council who committed $33,000 to the artwork in May.

The project would see 11 large photos erected around the city for five years. The photographs depict people wearing masks they made while exploring the concept of mental health. The Canada Council for the Arts chipped in $55,000 towards the project. 

Separately, the Regional District of North Okanagan supported the project with $10,000.

However, even while councillors were approving spending the cash on the murals, several councillors made comments about the art "scaring children."

The media ran the story – iNFOnews.ca went with the headline: Vernon council to spend $33,000 on scary public art – and soon after petitions for and against popped up.

The council report states the petition opposing the murals garnered 4,116 signatures, although only 2,786 identified as Vernon residents.

The petition against the murals incorrectly said the artists weren't local and called the art "awful."

One of the artists that made a mask for the project, Cheryl Jackson, said previously, "Maybe they don’t understand and the fear of not understanding gets in the way."

The 'yes' petition received 1,728 signatures, but with no record of where the signatories were from.

Vernon council later rescinded the money for the project and sent the file back to the Vernon Public Art Gallery for public consultation.

While criticized for not being available online, the art gallery reported that its public consultation had found the majority favoured the mask murals.

Vernon councillor Akbal Mund had said at the time that if the public really didn't want the Behind the Mask murals to be displayed in Vernon then more of them would have turned out during the public consultation and voted no.

Vernon Public Art Gallery executive director Dauna Kennedy had said plenty of children had visited the gallery and none were scared.

Vernon council's Aug. 15 meeting, will now be the final word on whether to approve the project or not.

While staff are recommending letting the project die, other options are on the table.

Council could ignore the recommendation and go ahead with spending $33,000 and placing the 11 murals around the city.

READ MORE: JONESIE: Public art exposes politicians for who they really are

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