Is LA Squelching Public Art?

On Monday of this week, no less than five skywriting airplanes spelled out the words, "End Mural Moratorium. Art is Not a Crime. Twitter at End Mural Moratorium." Along with the names of several street artists, those words were very clear and visible over City Hall in downtown Los Angeles. It was one of those artists, Saber, who commissioned what might be called airborne graffiti. Meanwhile, in West Hollywood, the new city library is about to open at the intersection of Melrose and San Vicente across from the Pacific Design Center. Its walls are covered with murals by street artists Shepard Fairey, Retna and Kenny Scharf.