A billboard celebrating Windsor’s drag history has been removed from the exterior of a Ford City art gallery after the building’s landlord requested that it come down, according to Artcite. The eight-by-eight-foot billboard displayed a message about Windsor’s drag history as part of the New Voices program, operated by the Arts Council Windsor & Region (ACWR) in partnership with Artcite. The work by Windsor artist Cole Fortier was installed outside Artcite at 998 Drouillard Road on July 23. Artcite removed the billboard on Tuesday after the organization says its landlord demanded that the message come down and indicated future wording would require prior approval. The artwork has since been moved into Artcite’s lobby, where it will remain on display until Aug. 18. “We don’t understand why this very strong reaction happened,” ACWR executive director Alejandro Tamayo said. New Voices was launched in 2021 to provide a public platform for text-based works by artists from communities historically underrepresented in Windsor-Essex. Tamayo described Fortier’s work as “an affirmation of presence” from the local 2SLGBTQ+ community, particularly its drag community. Artcite says the disagreement centres on whether the landlord’s approval was required for every message displayed on the billboard. According to a timeline released by Artcite, the landlord asked about the project on April 29 and requested examples of the writing that would appear. Artcite said he was told that artists would propose changing text-based works through an open call and was provided with a webpage documenting previous New Voices exhibitions. The following day, Artcite submitted a mock-up and asked for permission to proceed. According to Artcite, the landlord responded in writing, “Ok you can go ahead with this project.” Artcite said no requirement was stated at the time for individual artists, exhibitions, or wording changes to receive additional approval. The first New Voices exhibition at the Ford City location was installed June 24. Artcite said its wording changed midway through the exhibition without objection. Tamayo said the landlord was also provided with information about the project’s history, including examples of previous billboard messages. “This is very surprising because we received written confirmation from the landlord to install the billboard,” Tamayo said. “There are other messages also coming from the LGBTQ+ community that have been on the billboard before.” Artcite said it received its first objection to the project’s content on July 31, eight days after Fortier’s work was installed. The organization alleges the landlord demanded that the text be removed and later accused Artcite of violating its lease by failing to obtain approval for previous wording changes. Artcite disputes that reported interpretation of the lease. It said the provision cited by the landlord applies to “the Tenant’s identification signage” rather than individual artworks or exhibition text. “No separate agreement gave the landlord approval over artists, exhibitions, or individual texts,” Artcite said. Tamayo said ACWR has not communicated directly with the landlord and was not provided with an explanation for why Fortier’s message had to be removed. Asked whether ACWR believes the objection was connected to the work’s reference to drag queens, Tamayo said, “I hope that is not the case.” “The idea of this project was to provide a platform for free expression in Windsor and Essex,” he added. “The fact that this situation is happening, it almost proves the importance of this project.” Artcite said it removed the billboard rather than risk the legal and financial costs it says were threatened by the landlord. It added that the removal does not indicate agreement with the landlord’s reported interpretation of the lease. The Ford City Business Improvement Association said it was disappointed by the removal and is helping ACWR search for another location in the neighbourhood. “Projects like this bring creativity, conversation, and diverse perspectives into our public spaces, and they contribute to the character and vibrancy of Ford City, which is full of great public artworks and murals,” the BIA said in a statement. The BIA has issued a call to Ford City property and business owners who may have an available wall or other space for the billboard. “We are actively looking for a new home for this project and hope a path can be found to keep New Voices in Ford City,” the statement continued. Tamayo said the grant-funded program pays participating artists professional fees and has received strong support from people in the neighbourhood. “It seems that it is a project that the neighbourhood would like to keep,” he said. CTV News made multiple attempts to contact the building’s landlord but did not receive a response before publication. As a result, CTV News has not independently confirmed Artcite’s account of the landlord’s position.
