Berrien County Commissioner Rayonte Bell has drawn the attention of St. Joseph City Commissioners to an incident that occurred at the Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff Sunday. Bell told city commissioners on Monday that Nicholas Gunn, Mr. Benton Harbor, was targeted with racism by some of the artists while at the fair.
“It’s not a thing that we tolerate here in our community,” Bell said. “Racism is a serious problem in America as well as our community, and here we have an opportunity to show our community and the world how we stand against racism.”
Gunn was shooting video on Sunday, with the permission of Krasl, when some artists said he was harassing them. YouTube video posted by Gunn catches some of the encounter. Mayor Laura Goos said Monday she’s seen the video.
“Mr. Gunn displayed grace and maturity beyond his years from the video, and our public safety team responded appropriately and with respect,” Goos said.
The St. Joseph Department of Public Safety is investigating, and officers did respond to the incident, including department Director Steve Neubecker. He said at Monday’s meeting he couldn’t comment because he was a witness. Neubecker did say officers diffused the situation and that the artists involved were from Florida. City commissioners all agreed Monday the news was disturbing, adding it doesn’t reflect St. Joseph as a community.
The following has been released by Krasl Art Center Director Julia Gourley Donohue:
“Krasl Art Center is furious about racist actions by a small number of out of town artists participating in the 2022 Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff. Racism and hate will not be tolerated. We have met with the individual who was the target of the racism and are working with him and community leaders. The artists involved will not be permitted to return.” – Julia Gourley Donohue, Executive Director
