Jesus statue gains following in Scottsdale
Emily Bittner
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 1, 2004 12:00 AM
SCOTTSDALE - Calls of support have been pouring in to a downtown Scottsdale gallery owner who has a life-size sculpture of the crucifixion of Jesus in front of his shop.
"People love it," said Harold Lyon, owner of Lyon Gallery at Scottsdale Road and Main Street. City officials have cited Lyon with a code violation, which he said could cost $300 to $500 a day.
"We have people volunteering to pay the fines for the whole day," Lyon said Sunday. "Here we are, still sitting here, victorious, in other words."
Phoenix sculptor Bernard John Duke is asking more than $16,000 for his steel rendition, titled The Christ. He has said that Mel Gibson's film, The Passion of the Christ, inspired him and that the installation honors Lent, the period of fasting and penitence that precedes Easter.
City code prohibits the outdoor display of art for sale on a sidewalk.
Duke has said he plans to challenge the fine, saying that Native American sculptures displayed nearby haven't been cited.
City officials were unavailable for comment.
The statue was placed at the intersection on Wednesday, which was Ash Wednesday and marks the start of Lent.
Lyon said he and Duke plan to keep the sculpture on the street until Easter, at the end of Lent.
"This is no different from anything else that's on Main Street," Lyon said. "It's supposed to be the art center of the world, you know."
Reach the reporter at emily.bittner@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-6846.
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