People in the Morningside area of Sioux City have seen colorful manhole covers in recent weeks, since a person painted many covers.
A person was arrested this week for painting the manhole covers this week, a city of Sioux City press release said Thursday, while adding that the arrest has resulted in controversy.
On Friday, an online petition is asking people to support charges being dropped for an artist named Brandon Bradshaw. Julie Hoss, of Sioux City, said she supports the charges being dropped.
The city release said the man was cited for Fourth Degree Criminal Mischief.
“The City of Sioux City appreciates the creativity behind efforts to add beauty to our community. However, painting manhole covers or other public property without approval is considered graffiti and is classified as Criminal Mischief under Iowa Code,” it said.
The release said that public artwork placed in the city must go through a process that includes contacting the city manager’s office to ensure that designs align with community standards and other benchmarks.
“We recognize that this situation could have been handled differently, but judgments are often made under difficult circumstances. Moving forward, the City remains committed to improving communication, refining processes, and supporting appropriate, approved public art projects that enhance our community,” the release said.
The petition says Bradshaw’s artwork “has brought joy and vibrancy” to the city.
