Officers Call Tag
Gang-Related 
Artist loses lucrative Coca-Cola job because of
city's complaint 

By Luis Perez 

The first police officer who pulled up to the Sunshine
Market Wednesday wanted to know what Oliver Fox
was doing. 

Fox, 18, explained that the store manager had hired him
to spray paint a mural on his building after seeing his
work for Coca-Cola. The officer asked Fox and his
friends for their names and addresses and wrote them
down. 

Then a state police cruiser stopped at the market at
Delaware and Grace streets in Syracuse. The trooper
went through the same routine and left. 

About 20 minutes later, four police cars stopped,
including Sgt. Dave Pauldine, who represents the
Syracuse Police Department on the Syracuse &
Onondaga County Graffiti Busters Coalition. 

Fox's offense: The stylized graffiti signature or tag Fox
likes to use - ESAN - was on his mural. Police say the
tag is gang-related. 

Fox was not only forced to paint over his tag, but he lost
his most lucrative client, Coca-Cola, after city officials
complained about his work. Coca-Cola sponsors a
nationwide "Art in Harmony" program that pays artists to
paint promotional murals for Coke. 

Lynn Brockman, Coca-Cola's Art of Harmony
coordinator, said she received a phone call from Mayor
Roy Bernardi's office this week about Fox. The phone
call was enough for her not to work with him again, she
said. 

"This is a really positive program for Coca-Cola," she
said. If there is controversy, "we just back off from it." 

Brockman said this is the first time any city official has
called to complain about a Coke-commissioned artist. 

Fox found out Friday that Coca-Cola wouldn't work
with him again. "I'm upset," he said. "I don't think City
Hall has any right to do that. I think this is harassment." 

STORE OWNER, PAGE A-8 (Not on line. Had Positive comments
about Oliver's work from Store Owners who had employed him)

Saturday, July 22 2000