Under pressure from the public and planning board, the school eventually agreed to find another site for the center. McNeilly, for his part, claims his painting is a patriotic, artistic gesture that deserves First Amendment protection. McNeilly's case isn't about free speech, says a Feuer spokesman, but about land use. It goes to the issue of whether you want a supergraphic over your house or near your place of business. As a Westwood resident, I don't think that outcome would be so bad.
Competition pushes commercial artists to create attractive, visually appealing images.
And if you don't like a mural, or a house with a big garage, or a funky arts building, you can always look away. That's a far less costly, and far more peaceable, remedy than asking other people to submit their visions to bureaucratic authority. The Growing Conflict Over Creativity, Enterprise, and Progress .