Updated 9/27/2023 – On June 12, 2023 Chevron acknowledged that it had destroyed the Fencelines community art project, which the company has characterized as an act of vandalism installed solely along their properties. On June 28, however, the City of Richmond affirmed the assertions of project organizers, that a majority of the work was installed with permission on city-owned property, and some elements of the project had indeed extended onto Chevron properties.
Original Post- While the details of “how much” of the project was installed on Chevron owned fences is in dispute, the National Coalition Against Censorship stands by its letter: if Chevron believed work had been installed without permission on its fence, it should have contacted the project leaders and city, which had very publicly backed the project. Chevron should not have removed art from the fences where it was authorized for display, and Chevron should not have destroyed artwork that had city-authorized permissions to be on view for the community that helped create it.
The National Coalition Against Censorship’s Arts and Culture Program (ACAP) has demanded that the Chevron Products Company in Richmond, California return the Fencelines public art installation to its organizers.
The installation, which had been approved by the City of Richmond, powerfully conveyed the thoughts and aspirations of local residents regarding their community, their proximity to oil refineries, and the negative effects of these refineries on their well-being.
The surreptitious removal of the artwork raises significant concerns about Chevron’s commitment to upholding freedom of expression and being a responsible presence in the neighborhoods where it operates.
Read ACAP’s full letter to Chevron Products Company here: