Trash or art? 'Welcome to Syracuse' sign takes a poignant swipe at Mayor Miner

Welcome to Syracuse

A message spray-painted on a roadside pile of rubbish reads: "Welcome to Syracuse - Stephanie Miner Mayor."

(Chris Baker |

As you enter the city of Syracuse from the west, you're greeted by the city's most sarcastic piece of graffiti.

"Welcome to Syracuse - Stephanie Miner Mayor."

It's written in spray paint on a mattress atop a pile of trash on a poorly maintained road.

Welcome to Syracuse indeed.

At face value, the makeshift sign is just another piece of anonymous invective -- a cheap shot at the city's most prominent politician. But the six-word message is more than that. It's political satire at its most basic and it's a piece of public art (whether intentional or not) more poignant than any other you'll find in this city.

After all, public art isn't limited to positive messages on old bridges or blue dragons lurking beside a creek. Art means having something to say, and saying it at the right time, in a way that resonates.

In that regard, the small heap of trash near Solvay is more potent than any of the numerous works of public art in which this city has invested. It's a poor man's Banksy, venting frustration via a roadside eyesore.

The graffiti-ed mattress can be found (as of Sunday evening) just 100 feet inside the city limits, facing north on Willis Ave. between Erie Blvd. and State Fair Blvd.

A Google Maps screenshot of the roadside on Willis Ave.

I drive that unattractive stretch of road several times a week. That particular spot houses a never-ending pile of garbage. Even the image on Google Maps shows a discarded sofa and sundry debris.

Is it the mayor's fault that a handful of residents dump their discarded stuff on the side of the road? Certainly not. In fact, our tax dollars will likely pay, eventually, to have it removed.

But the message is a reflection of the disenfranchisement and disgust some residents have with their own town -- the ones who walk daily on roads littered with debris or speckled with potholes. Try as the city might to inspire with quirky phrases like "Nothing to do is everything with you," the words that resonate are those that speak from powerlessness and frustration; like a sign that gives voice to a pile of rubbish.

That voice is exactly what makes this a piece of pointed satire and a work of art. And the longer it stands, the truer its message.

Chris Baker is the music writer for the Post-Standard and His idea of thought-provoking art is a pile of garbage. Contact him: Email | Twitter | Google+