An Iowa city has rallied behind its “Manhole Michelangelo,” after a local artist’s colorful paintings atop sewer covers landed him in jail, according to a report.
Artist Brandon Bradshaw has become famous in Sioux City for his vibrant spray-paint designs on otherwise mundane manhole covers.
Bradshaw’s artistic journey began in September when he painted his first sewer flower. When people started to notice – and many gave the art a warm reception – he began painting more across the city to brighten people’s days.
“Our city needed a spark and the more people I talked to – it gave them that spark,” Bradshaw, 46, told The Wall Street Journal.
Bradshaw knew he should have gotten a permit for his work, but figured someone would complain if his work was an issue. Instead, he was arrested on November 4 and charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief and public drinking.
Bradshaw spent the night in jail and paid $1,300 bond to be released. He later pleaded not guilty and is preparing for a trial, which could find him facing a fine and a year in jail, according to the report.
Locals have since rallied behind Bradshaw by hosting their own sewer-flower-painting contest in nearby Sac City . A petition to drop the criminal charges against Bradshaw has gained over 2,200 signatures, and a friend started selling T-shirts decreeing him the “Manhole Michelangelo.”
“He’s a local celebrity now,” Shelli Selfridge, a clerk at a convenience store near one of Bradshaw’s flowers, told the Journal.
“He went Facebook viral, which I thought was kind of neat, but I wish he wouldn’t have gotten arrested for it to happen,” she said. “He was just trying to make people smile.”
Meanwhile, local authorities said the flowers, while beautiful to look at, could prompt people to create less attractive graffiti.
In a statement, the city said, “We recognize that this situation could have been handled differently, but judgments are often made under different circumstances.”
Sac City has taken Sioux City’s unwillingness to support the art – and ran with it. Crystal Hanrahan, who leads the chamber of commerce, organized a manhole painting contest with the tagline “Our Town Is Cooler Than Yours.”
“I feel bad for them,” she said of Sioux City leaders.
Sac City now has over 70 painted manhole covers, including creations made by the sheriff’s office and police department.
Locals in Sioux City wish their leadership had responded to the colorful displays with more open arms.
“Sac City is making us look like idiots,” mechanic Robert Dobney told the outlet. “We should have capitalized on this.”
Now, Sioux City, leaders are reportedly working on a deal to drop the charges. With the deal, Bradshaw is required to gain approval for any future paintings done on city property and to pay court costs. Bradshaw signed it last week, but the local prosecutor had yet to give approval as of Wednesday morning.
While Bradshaw said that the effort to prosecute him was “stupid all around,” he was happy to have helped unite the community.
“What’s crazy is that it brought so many people together,” he said.
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