Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville leaders called their meeting Friday with City Council President Clay Yarborough “amicable” with dialogue that was “open and forthright.”
Yarborough said Monday there are “other important issues that we must move on to address.”
Yarborough issued a statement saying he apologized to Marcelle Polednik, the museum’s director, for not initially contacting her about his concern with children being able to see a photograph of a naked woman without paying admission to the city-owned building.
He instead asked Mayor Alvin Brown to pull the museum’s city funding of more than $233,000 over what Yarborough called a “pornographic” image. That kicked off two weeks of controversy and backlash from art enthusiasts.
Yarborough said he learned the director and board were responsible for content at the facility and asked whether anything would be done to “protect children exposed” to such a display. He said Polednik and board Chair Margaret Gellalty expressed “it would reflect poorly on them if they were willing to compromise.”
Yarborough said it’s time to “move on.”
“Though I unwaveringly believe this weakens Jacksonville’s moral climate and hope the board will, at-minimum, consider a disclaimer similar to what is used in other public forums, there are other important issues that we must move on to address,” he said in the statement.
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