When the public arts commission of San Angelo rejected the application to exhibit a politically charged sheep statue in late October, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) argued it violated the First Amendment. In response, the San Angelo City Council and City Manager Daniel Valenzuela appealed the art commission’s decision.
The statue, featuring images of sheep designed by New Yorker cartoonist Harry Bliss with a message encouraging people to “wear your own skin,” will now be displayed as part of the Sheep Spectacular in Downtown San Angelo, formerly recognized as the Wool Capital of the World due to its robust sheep industry.
During the initial vote, arts commission members rejected the statue, deeming it was at odds with San Angelo’s extensive history in the wool and mohair industry. According to a letter that PETA sent to City Council on Dec. 13, the following points were made in the meeting minutes:
- “Ms. Ramos stated that she did not feel this ‘Sheep Spectacular’ sheep was fitting for the downtown area due to the fact that the design goes against the history of San Angelo.”
- Mr. Dalgliesh “stated that the design seemed political” and that “he does not approve of this design as well and wanted to prevent other political statements being expressed on other ‘Sheep Spectacular’ sheep that are placed.”
- Mr. Ruiz “stated that this ‘Sheep Spectacular’ sheep being downtown is not a fit for the downtown area.”
- “Mr. White stated that most of the ‘Sheep Spectacular’ sheep are placed in close proximity to sponsoring businesses, but this sheep does not have an affiliated business.”
- “Mr. Stevenson expressed his concern for the statement this ‘Sheep Spectacular’ sheep is (mis)representing and it does not go with our mission in his opinion.
In their appeal, PETA stated that the commission members did not reference any “policy, guiding criteria or standards to support the denial.” In search of an answer, the organization sent a public records request searching for these guidelines and on Nov. 15 received records that “did not include any such documents or other applicable standards,” according to the letter.
“The City Council’s adoption of the Commission’s decision would violate PETA’s constitutional rights, as its decision apparently discriminated based on viewpoint and was unmoored from any objective standards guiding its ad hoc determinations,” the letter states.
PETA also pointed out that there are already 110 statues within the city, “but not one addressing how sheep are often beaten, mutilated, and violently killed for wool.”
As a result, the City Council denied the commission’s recommendation to reject the statue this week.
“Sheep feel pain and fear, love their flock members, and don’t deserve to be cut to ribbons for wool, something that happens in every shearing shed we have visited,” PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in a news release. “PETA is urging Mayor Gunter and the rest of the city council to ensure that “E(n)d Shearin’” takes its lawful place downtown so that people who see it understand the suffering behind wool sweaters and scarves and choose to wear vegan. Shearing isn’t just a haircut — it’s often a scary, painful procedure.”
