Bill Schramm, owner of 2501 Gallery, was arrested on two charges, including violating an ordinance that prohibits places that serve alcohol from allowing the public display of genitals. He said he plans to fight the charges and sue the city.(Photo: WILLIE J. ALLEN JR./Times)
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – Someone should’ve told that to Erotic Lounge owner Bill Schramm (left), who was arrested this weekend by St. Petersburg Police after they found a naked man suspended (quite happily) from the gallery’s ceiling during a risque art show.
According to the Times article, Schramm’s bad day started with an enormous penis statue he had installed in front of his Grand Central District gallery. Responding to a complaint, police told Schramm to remove the penis. He refused, citing “art.”
Fast-forward a few hours: gallery patrons are drinking beer and viewing various erotic paintings and sculptures when police descend upon the storefront. Schramm tries to prevent an officer from entering and he’s slammed to the ground and arrested. The police walk inside, demand identification from patrons and then discover a nude model hanging from the ceiling in some sort of harness.
That’s a violation of a city (and county) ordinance that prohibits the display of genitals while alcohol is served.
This incident raises a number of questions. First off, if everything in the article is true, Schramm did violate the ordinance. Yes, it’s a stupid ordinance (and why strip clubs in Pinellas suck), but it is the law. But what about the earlier attempt by police to remove the giant penis statue? Who gave St. Petersburg police officers the authority to determine obscenity laws? And was Schramm’s refusal to remove it the precursor to police raiding the gallery?
Schramm just can’t catch a break. Last year, bigoted vandals targeted Erotic Lounge spraypainting “no fag porn” on the gallery’s windows. That was a few months after Schramm caught a lot of heat for his first erotic art show.
With incidents like these, it’s no wonder the ‘burg has a hard time keeping edgy, genre-bending artists in town. Perhaps someone should remind city leaders and the police department that there’s more to art than some melting clocks.
Courtesy CreativeLoafing.com
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