Vandalism incidents involving a “Radical Love” sidewalk sign at Eclipse Center for Creative Community has occurred three times within the past two weeks, and the art center believes they may have been a targeted acts.
Eclipse Center for Creative Community is an art center located at 30 Vine Street in Lansdale Borough that opened in July 2021.
On three separate occasions, the sidewalk sign, which has a pride flag and a flyer for the art center’s second annual Radical Love show that features art by members of the AAPI, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ community, has been thrown from the sidewalk into the nearby bushes. Eclipse Owner and Director Joanne Coppens said the sign has never been moved or blown over by a storm and is placed where it’s not infringing on people’s ability to walk on the sidewalk.
The second and third incidents were documented on Coppens’s Facebook page, with the second incident occurring on Saturday and the third on Monday. The first incident occurred last week but was not documented.
“I wanted to see if anybody had maybe seen anything and maybe it was innocent or just kids and not that it would have anything to do with what the sign represents,” Coppens said, regarding why she decided to post on the Citizens for the Revitalization of Lansdale Facebook group.
Coppens did not notice any signs of suspicious activity outside of the vandalism.
The first case of vandalism did enough damage to require the sign to be replaced, according to the initial Facebook post. At the time, Coppens believed kids moved the sign, but after the second incident, she began to speculate that it was a planned act.
“The sign is a little bulky,” Coppens said. “You can pick it up, but it's not an easy task.”
After the third incident, Coppens purchased a camera in case the vandalism were to happen again. She has not filed a police report, but plans to if the sign is vandalized for a fourth time.
Lansdale Mayor Garry Herbert said that he hopes the center will file a police report, so the department can conduct a thorough investigation of the incident.
“If it is happening for reasons related to LGBTQ support or the art that is being exhibited, if that is the case, it's obviously very discouraging that someone in our community feels that that is an appropriate way to express their disagreement with that position,” Herbert said. “Lansdale is not known to be, nor should it ever be known to be, a place where the LGBTQ community can't feel at home.”
Lansdale Borough Hall and the Lansdale Police Station are located across the street from the art center, however it’s unclear if their surveillance footage may have documented the person responsible for the vandalism. Lansdale Police Chief Mike Trail did not respond to North Penn Now’s request for comment at the time of publishing.
In the meantime, Coppens is asking community members who may have information regarding the vandalism to reach out to the art center.
“Eclipse is, and always will be, a safe space for everyone,” Coppens said in a Facebook post. “If the culprit thinks they are going to change that, they are very wrong.”
See also:
Photos: Eclipse Center for Creative Community Holds Grand Opening in Lansdale
Photos: Lansdale Pride Walk 2023
Lansdale Resident Named Ms. Exquisite Full-Figured USA
Lansdale Council Unanimously Approves Human Relations Ordinance
Drag Queen Story Time Leads to ‘Inclusion Day’ Proclamation in Lansdale [UPDATED]
