December 22, 2007
Art Conrad.has the right spirit
From the Kitsap Sun:Strange Santa Scene Makes Bremerton Man's Comment on ChristmasA bit more:
Santa's keeping watch over a West Bremerton neighborhood in a way that has some offended and everyone else at least a bit curious about the motive.
In the front yard of a house on the 300 block of Olympic Avenue stands a crucifix about 15-feet tall, bearing Santa Claus in place of Jesus.
Jake Tally of Bremerton walked by the display Friday and chuckled, but didn't pretend to understand the message.
"I don't really know what to think. I know it's about God but Santa has nothing to do with it," he said.
Nearby neighbors were mixed with their reviews Friday. One woman said she was offended. Another said she feared how children might respond. One man said he thought perhaps the homeowner was displaying a message about the commercialization of Christmas.
Art Conrad, who owns the home and put up the display, said the commercialization angle is the number one impetus for the display, but he's also making a statement about political correctness. That he finds Santa on a cross a hilarious juxtaposition fits in the list of motives, too.
He created it by stuffing a Santa suit and borrowing the head off a motion-activated Santa that dances and sings Christmas carols.
The headless dancing Santa now carries a knife and sings and dances on Conrad's front porch.
Conrad photographed the crucified Santa and created his own Christmas cards, one with the message, "Santa died for your MasterCard."
"Santa has been perverted from who he started out to be," Conrad said. "Now he's the person being used by corporations to get us to buy more stuff."
Conrad said the second message comes from his belief that people are so afraid of being politically incorrect that they won't do anything because of what other people might think or what the American Civil Liberties Union might do.
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