THE PUBLIC MIND: ARTIST SAYS PAINTING NOT RACIALLY INSPIRED

To the Editor:

I'm the guy who painted the sign for Hobo's restaurant.

My wife and I visited Cape Girardeau a few weeks ago, and a friend of ours asked me to paint a sign for the restaurant she would soon be opening. I agreed to paint her sign.

I painted a hobo. He was just a dark tanned man. There was no thought given to his race. He could have been of any race.

My concern is the fact that my original was first repainted (to pacify a handful of protesters) and then, because certain blacks in the community still didn't like the painting, it was completely painted over. While I was painting, many blacks and whites stopped to give positive comments on the new sign. Not one negative remark was made, and it brought a smile to many faces.

I would like to publicly apologize for any hard feelings I might have caused because of the "character" or looks on the Hobo.

It was not my intent to start anything racial, and I never even thought that my hobo would cause people to picket my art. He most definitely was not black. Hoboes historically were white, and anyone who really looked at the hobo could not have missed his blue eyes. I don't know what is in the people's minds who found him unacceptable. I only know to me, a photo is American folklore. He's been written about, sang about, painted and is proud of his heritage. Personally, I've never seen a black hobo.

Richard G. Coram

San Antonio, Texas