Sharon Marolf's painting of her granddaughter (Photo: Alliance Defense Fund)

A Colorado city backed off on its decision to remove two paintings from public display that contained Scripture verses.

The decision by city-of-Delta officials followed a lawsuit filed by attorneys with the Arizona-based public interest legal group Alliance Defense Fund on behalf of artist Sharon Marolf.

"Christian artists should be given the same opportunity as everyone else to display their work in public," said ADF Legal Counsel Brett Harvey.

The attorney said Delta "recognized that to continue their ban on this artist's paintings would mean continued violation of her constitutional rights."

One of the paintings features Marolf's granddaughter and a quote from Psalms expressing the artist's views about the value of a child. The other painting, titled "Circle/Squares," displays Scripture passages that reference circles and squares.

The two pieces were displayed at a city recreation center before someone complained of being offended by the Bible verses. But ADF noted Delta city officials frequently open the Bill Heddles Recreation Center hallways and rooms for the posting of artwork by local citizens.

ADF said the complaint [pdf file] was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado after city officials refused to allow Marolf to redisplay her paintings despite having received a letter from ADF attorneys explaining the violation of her constitutional rights.

But after the lawsuit, city officials took a closer look at the law protecting artistic expression and invited Marolf to re-display her artwork at the city's recreation center, ADF said.

The city also has agreed, with ADF's help, to create a policy on public posting of artwork to ensure artists' rights are protected.

"The city has shown a desire to abide by the law and respect the rights of this Christian artist, and this benefits everyone," said Harvey. "This is another example of a city living in fear because of widespread disinformation about the Establishment Clause of the Constitution."

The Establishment Clause says, "Congress shall make not law respecting an establishment of religion."

In February, a Florida city barred three paintings from a city hall display celebrating Black History Month because they contained small references to the Christian faith.

Officials for the city of Deltona, Fla., said hanging the colorful photos by artist Lloyd Marcus would be tantamount to the town favoring a specific religion.

Marcus' paintings were to be part of an employee-organized display in the lobby of Deltona City Hall, but acting city manager Roland Blossom nixed the art.

"I saw the word 'Jesus' and the Holy Bible just sort of thrown in the painting," Blossom told the Daytona Beach News-Journal, saying because the display is in a public building, observers might "think this government is advocating in favor of one religion over another."

One of the banned paintings was a joyful New Orleans funeral procession. Another, entitled "3 a.m.," showed a partial Bible and part of the word "Jesus" on a church sign.

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