KKK has no rightful place in mural
Napa and the history of the KKK stir an art controversy.
On a recent stroll at the newly built Riverfront, my husband and I came upon the Napa Mill Mosaic and Fountain located behind the Napa River Inn. It is a beautiful plaza and a key stopping point on the Napa River trail for both Napans and visitors alike.
As we were admiring the beautiful tiles, we were astonished to find the depiction of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) on the right side. I was truly horrified to see a dozen or so white-robed figures standing around a burning cross. I quickly inquired at the General Store and Napa Hotel. Apparently, the artist Alan Shepp wanted to do a visual history of Napa and the Napa River. Along with the KKK image, there is a basket depicting Native Americans, a Chinese man working on the railroad, orchard harvestors, a man kneeling at a woman for prostitution houses. But no image is as unsettling as the Ku Klux Klan.