Vandals Attack Works Of K ansas Artist

MULLINVILLE, KANSAS - An outspoken artist whose work lines the entryways into town here fears the artwork might be on the endangered species list following a series of attacks by vandals.
"I really think they will not stop until they systematically destroy every piece of my artwork," said M.T. Liggett, whose cartoonish caricatures dot the sides of U.S. 54 and U.S. 56 on the western and eastern outskirts of Mullinville.
He said his frequently outlandish and very public art, which dates to 1989, previously has drawn the attention of vandals. But generally they would attack just the small signs under the pieces that identify the works.
Now, they've gone a step further, Liggett says, defacing 10 different pieces with spray-painted obscenities and other vulgar flourishes. The vandals struck most recently last week, though he says the recent spate dates to last December.
Liggett thinks the vandalism may stem from his running feuds with some locals or the controversial nature of the messages painted on boards he also has scattered around town. A couple of such boards originally read "Support gay marriage" but now have "gay" blacked out.
"They have their right to their opinion, but they do not have a right to get beyond the law and do what they're doing," he said. "I don't fight dirty. They're fighting dirty."
Liggett's caricatures, out in the open on his own property, represent the famous and not-so-famous, sometimes in unflattering fashion, particularly when it comes to national figures. He also puts up boards with not-so-subtle messages about politics, like the gay marriage signs, seemingly to provoke and prod.
Accordingly, he doesn't seem too surprised by the turn of events.
"I knew this would happen someday," he said.
Still, he defends his right to express what he wants.
"That was hers," Liggett said, alluding to one of the damaged pieces that he worked on with a friend. "Now look at it. What am I going to do with it?"
Liggett reported the damage to Kiowa County sheriff's officials, who are investigating.
from The Hutchinson News