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St. Petersburg art gallery owner says he's being railroaded

By Cristina Silva, Times Staff Writer
In print: Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Bill Schramm, owner of 2501 Gallery, was arrested on two charges, including violating an ordinance that prohibits places that serve alcohol from allowing the public display of genitals. He said he plans to fight the charges and sue the city.
	[WILLIE J. ALLEN JR. | Times]

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ST. PETERSBURG — An erotic art gallery owner arrested Friday for hanging a naked man from his ceiling says he is being forced out of business after months of harassment by the city and a few angry neighbors.

"It's been the most horrific experience of my life," said William Schramm, owner of 2501 Gallery. "I'm getting railroaded out of this town. But I'm not leaving without a fight."

Police arrested Schramm and model Joshua Culotta during an art opening Friday night.

Schramm was charged with battery of a law enforcement officer and the unlawful exposure of private parts, a violation of a city ordinance that prohibits places that serve alcohol from allowing the public display of genitals.

The raid was not coincidental, Schramm said.

He has been cited four times for code compliance violations since May, including for leaving a large pile of mulch in front of his property, failure to apply for a certificate of occupancy and parking a trailer on his property.

City officials are targeting him, he said, because he is a gay man running an erotic art gallery that focuses on homoerotic images.

"I'm realizing that this is the most rednecked, backward town," he said. "They want me out of here."

Police Chief Chuck Harmon said the city has no problems with gay-centric businesses.

"To me, it's a clear-cut violation of the ordinance," he said. "We are a very diverse community and respectful of the diversity of the community."

Schramm, who hosted his first erotic art show in August, said he has to close the gallery to focus on the legal battle before him. He plans to fight the charges and sue the city for discrimination and other civil rights violations.

Several artists have begun to auction their erotic images on eBay.com to help cover Schramm's legal fees.

But for Schramm's critics, the shop's demise is a victory.

"Big penises in the yard don't exactly make people feel comfortable," said City Council member Jeff Danner, who represents the Grand Central District and has received some complaints about the gallery.

Police descended on the gallery Friday after a neighbor complained about an oversized penis statue Schramm had displayed outside near the entrance.

A police officer told Schramm it was pornographic and told him to take it inside. Schramm refused.

"I don't feel an 8-foot-tall wooden penis is pornographic," he said. "If it is, then they need to go through St. Petersburg and chisel the genitalia off of every statue in the city."

Soon after, several officers appeared at the gallery, demanding to be let in. Undercover officers were already at the party.

"We got indication there would be some sort of live performance," Harmon said.

Schramm said he tried to show a police officer how to push the door open, but he was tackled to the ground. Schramm, who has a heart condition, said he was pushed so hard the lead in his defibrillator fell out.

Police said Schramm touched the officer's hand and tried to prevent him from entering.

Once inside, police found Culotta naked, sitting in a swing and hanging from the ceiling.

Culotta, who is deaf, did not know what was happening, Schramm said.

"He was crying," Schramm said. "They just laughed at him. It was horrific."

Harmon said Culotta was not ridiculed and an officer fluent in sign language translated for him.

The event, called "men in trees," was intended to provoke dialogue about boundaries, Schramm said.

"I knew it was questionable, I really did," he said. "I told everyone I am going to be arrested tonight."

But Schramm, who has featured nude models at the gallery before, said police had no right to treat him and Culotta as brutally as they did.

"I will stand by my art," he said. "But you can't take away my civil rights."

Cristina Silva can be reached at (727) 893-8846 or csilva@sptimes.com.