#OnThisDay In 1984, “Green Lightning” by Billie Lawless is dedicated at the Elm-Oak Arterial. The sculpture was initially met with controversy due to the subject of the piece being neon-lit images that were a phallic pun on Planter’s Mr. Peanut. The idea was conceived at ArtPark a year before. Mayor Jimmy Griffin attempted to have the sculpture disassembled during the cover of the night five days after the initial lighting of the sculpture. He had hired a sign company, which was not equipped to disassemble a sculpture, to basically destroy the sculpture.
Lawless had heard about the disassembly that was set to occur and sped down to the scene. Once arriving, Lawless climbed to the top of his 30-foot sculpture to prevent its destruction. He later gained power of the court to protect the piece. Alas, its life in Buffalo was not for long, being eventually removed and finding a home in Chicago. It stayed there for 10 years and now is in storage in Cleveland.
Did you ever get to seen the notorious Green Lightning? Do you remember the stir crazy caused by it?
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