$500-a-day fine for Jesus statue?

[southerngale]

Man inspired by Mel Gibson's movie faces city prohibition

A shop owner inspired by Mel Gibson's blockbuster film "The Passion of the Christ" faces fines of up to $500 a day for putting a life-size sculpture of the crucifixion of Jesus in front of his art gallery.

Harold Lyon of Scottsdale, Ariz., said the sculpture honors Lent, the period of fasting and penitence on the church calendar prior to Easter.

"People love it," he told the Arizona Republic.

But city officials have cited Lyon Gallery with a code violation barring sale of art on a sidewalk, which could cost him $300 to $500 a day.

"We have people volunteering to pay the fines for the whole day," Lyon told the paper. "Here we are, still sitting here, victorious, in other words."

The steel rendition, called "The Christ," by Phoenix sculptor Bernard John Duke, is listed at $16,000.

Duke plans to challenge the fine, charging the city is being inconsistent. Native American sculptures nearby have not been cited, he noted.

The shop owner and sculptor want to keep the sculpture on the street until Easter.

"This is no different from anything else that's on Main Street," Lyon told the Republic. "It's supposed to be the art center of the world, you know."