MARK VALLEN'S "ART FOR A CHANGE"

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The following was reprinted from the Associated Press - Jan. 28th 2002.
So long Mr. Ashcroft... Hmmm, I wonder if the drapes will be removed?

Justice Dept. Covers Nude Statues

WASHINGTON (AP) - It's a Washington cover-up of a different sort. The Justice Department spent $8,000 on blue drapes to hide two giant, partially nude statues in the Great Hall of the agency's headquarters, said spokesman Shane Hix. The Great Hall is an ornate, two-story room that the department uses for ceremonies and special speeches. The drapes were occasionally hung in front of the aluminum Art Deco statues before formal events, "for aesthetics," Hix said. The department used to rent the drapes, but has now purchased them and left them hanging.

ABC News reported that Attorney General John Ashcroft, a religious and conservative man, ordered the statues covered because he didn't like being photographed in front of them. Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, Ashcroft has been photographed several times in front of the female statue that represents the Spirit of Justice. The 10- to 12-foot statue has its arms raised and a toga draped over its body, but a single breast is completely exposed.

The other statue, of a man with a cloth covering his midsection, is called the Majesty of Law. Hix said the Justice Department bought the drapes to avoid having to rent them every time the agency had a formal event. He also said Ashcroft was not involved in the decision. "The attorney general was not even aware of the situation," he said. "Obviously, he has more important things to do."

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