Disputed Jesus artwork in Loveland museum gets pass,

The Loveland City Council took no action concerning a controversial print Tuesday, and a council member who first demanded that the piece be removed from its display and called it "smut" asked only for a sign to be placed in the museum warning visitors of its explicit content.

Twenty-five people addressed the City Council at its regular meeting Tuesday night, nearly half speaking on each side of the issue. The Council did not vote to place the issue on an upcoming agenda, but Mayor Cecil Gutierrez said the discussion would continue during Cultural Services Board meetings.

Council member Daryle Klassen spoke after public comment concluded, saying that he would just like to see "a simple warning posted" in the Loveland Museum/ Gallery.

"You're free to leave it in the museum; I got no problem with that," he said.

Last week, Klassen called the piece, “The Misadventures of Romantic Cannibals” by California artist Enrique Chagoya, “smut” and demanded that the piece be removed.

A portion of the painting shows a man who appears to be Jesus Christ engaging in a sex act with a man.

Gutierrez and Mayor Pro Tem Larry Heckel both pointed out that Klassen was the one to bring the issue to the council’s attention in the first place.

Gutierrez said Klassen sent an e-mail to the council before he spoke up at the Sept. 28 special meeting suggesting that the piece be removed, not discussed, which is why he didn’t vote to put it on the agenda last week, he said.

“When we’re placed in a position that is all or nothing, that’s when we have a problem,” he said.

Emotions of the 25 people who addressed the public ranged from calm to infuriated.

Fr. Frank Garcia, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church in Loveland, shouted his comments to the council and public. Half or more of the people in the room stood up when Garcia spoke.

“We are the first to defend the rights of our children against abuse,” he said. “We are sick and tired of the complacency.”

Garcia also told the council that the church has received two phone call threats of people distributing pornography to the parish’s schoolchildren.