Landlord said he supported the concept of the art installation, but wanted the current text removed.
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An outdoor art billboard in Windsor’s Ford City neighbourhood has been moved inside after the property owner reportedly objected to the latest installation, which references drag queens.
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Artcite Inc., which operates the gallery in the 900 block of Drouillard Road, moved the New Voices art piece Tuesday, saying it was unwilling to risk the “financial and legal costs” it believed could result from the landlord’s demands.
The non-profit said the dispute erupted over artist Cole Fortier’s installation, which features only words, reading “Windsor Had Drag Queens Before You Existed.” It appeared on the outside billboard July 23.
In an email to Artcite, the landlord said he supported the concept of the art installation, but wanted the current text removed and said future changes to the billboard’s wording would require prior approval.
A gallery spokesperson provided an email from the landlord saying he might remove the billboard entirely. He also stated he would seek to recover the costs of removing it, as well as any legal costs incurred.
The gallery said the lease does not state that such approval was required. A portion of the lease provided to the Star does not include reference to this particular type of art installation signage. Any reference to signage, including “identification signage,” states landlord approval must be obtained.
Artcite said the landlord had already given written permission to proceed with the project’s concept after being told about its purpose and shown a previous example of the work.
The billboard is part of New Voices, a project that gives traditionally underrepresented artists and communities in Windsor-Essex a public platform for expression.
Artcite said Tuesday that preserving its independence was more important than keeping the billboard at its current location.
“New Voices was created to amplify the work of artists and communities whose voices have historically been underrepresented in Windsor-Essex, including 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and to provide a platform for their voices to be expressed freely,” Arts Council Windsor & Region, the organization behind the project, said in a statement.
Fortier declined to speak publicly on the issue. The artist, in a statement to the Star on Wednesday, asked for privacy.
