APRIL FOOLS: Group pushes to clothe David on city logo

Citizens for Public Decency, a local advocacy group, has successfully lobbied the city of Sarasota to redesign the city's logo. Members of the group describe the logo, which features Michelangelo's statue of “David,” as an inappropriate representation of Sarasota and take offense to its depiction of a nude figure.

Although the logo does not show any nudity, founder Barb Eagel said, “It bothers me that the current logo forces me to think of a man in the nude.” Eagel moved to Sarasota from Temperance, Michigan, after being drawn to the area’s vibrant arts and cultural scene in 2010. She started Citizens for Public Decency in 2011 to petition the city to redesign the bayfront's Unconditional Surrender sculpture to depict a “genial handshake.”  

“We aren’t against the David,” said Eagel. “But we do believe our city would be better represented by a man with sensible loafers and a tasteful chino pants. Maybe Michelangelo was comfortable showing David as he appeared before God, but times have changed.”

Without comment or commitment to a change, the city has opened up a city logo redesign project to the public, calling for open submissions for a new design. Entries have already been flowing into the Dress Up David competition.

Design submissions have included the “Lakewood Ranch David,” featuring David modeling a golf shirt and khaki shorts; “Ringling David,” the statue dressed as a clown to honor the city’s circus history; and “Tube David,” a Tube Dude version of the sculpture.