GREENFIELD — The recent destruction of a pride flag that hung on the Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center building has got owner Steven Goldsher wondering if the incident is connected to an act of vandalism in August.
Goldsher said he got a call from someone in City Hall saying they’d found the flag, which had been shredded, between the two buildings. The flag has hung on the front of Hawks & Reed’s building for a couple of years.
This is the second time since early August — when someone destroyed Wheaton Mahoney’s portraits of Joe Dulude II in drag that had been hanging on the front of the former First National Bank building on Bank Row — that there has been what some believe are acts of hate.
“We don’t know if these incidents are related. That was my first thought, because this has been hanging for so long without a problem,” Goldsher said. “I’m going to make a police report.”
Goldsher had not made that report by press time, so police could not comment on the most recent incident.
Goldsher said he hopes a business in that area along Main Street picked something up with a security camera, but he said he’s not going to count on it.
“We just don’t know if these are random acts or if it’s targeted,” he said.
Goldsher said he hopes some good comes of it, though.
“It gives us all an opportunity to talk about our differences and help educate people,” he said.
Dulude, who held a quiet protest with friends on the Greenfield Common shortly after his portraits were destroyed, said “love will overcome fear.” He and his friends stood overnight on the common while the portraits that had been destroyed, along with others of him, were projected onto the front of the First National Bank building. The Emmy-nominated visual artist and drag queen said last month that destruction of the portraits seemed planned, because “it took so much energy to commit the act.”
On Oct. 5 and 6, Dulude and his friends, including Eggtooth Productions Artistic Director Linda McInerney, will present “This Is Us,” a two-day event that will celebrate diversity. Four local photographers will participate in a pop-up, drop-in photo booth where they will take photographic portraits of the diverse community that represents Greenfield and the county. Portraits will be taken at 156 Main St.
When the photo session is over, the photographers will create slide shows of the portraits to be projected upon downtown buildings after dark that day from about 8 to 10 p.m. In addition to the new portraits, they will project Lyons’ and Rhonda Anderson’s project called “Vital. Vibrant. Visible.” previously commissioned by Eggtooth. It is a series of photographic portraits of local indigenous people who live in the Pioneer Valley. Mahoney’s portraits of Dulude in drag will also be projected for the second time.
Also in celebration of difference, world-renowned performers Mr. Drag (Dulude) and Karl (Katherine Adler) will perform “Morning Vodka” with special musical guests, at The Root Cellar on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 6, at 7:30 p.m.
Goldsher said he is willing to participate in events that try to weed out hate. He said Hawks & Reed is considering holding a dance to unite people and show solidarity.