Sorry about the formatting, but the link is no longer live unless you have a New York Times Subscription.  For now, there is a temporary restraining order in place, so the artwork stays until the next court date.  Here is the text of the article dated February 17th:

OUR TOWNS The Artwork Isn’t Offensive. But to Some,Well, the Very Idea of It

PHOTO CREDIT-Richard Perry/The New York Times

Melanie Gold at a former bowling alley in Greenwood Lake, N.Y., where she installed three six and-a-half-foot artworks. The building owner was fined.

By PETER APPLEBOME

Published: February 16, 2011 GREENWOOD LAKE, N.Y.

One day perhaps four years ago while driving through nearby Warwick, N.Y.,Melanie Gold had an idea.She was familiar with a white barn that had been painted with the faces of Elvis,Marlon Brando and James Dean. And she thought, hey, why not do an art project in Greenwood Lake, where she recently bought a home.She was a drama teacher, not someone with a background in visual art, but some local artists she got to know encouraged her to apply for grants as a way to pay tribute to and spruce up the amiably unpretentious village, which is defined by the seven-mile-long lake that straddles New York and New Jersey.

The idea meant a lot, because her father, who had brought her to the United States from Ukraine when she was 11, had imbibed the American dream of a country hideaway, and it was only a modest inheritance after his death in 2006 that allowed her to achieve it. And,for someone with roots in a country where participation was a job, a duty or a punishment, it seemed a quintessentially American thing to come up with your own way to make your community a better place.She checked with local officials to be sure she could put up a mural on a privately owned building and was told there were no local ordinances saying she could not. Then, when she decided to go forward, she checked again to be sure before applying for a grant last April through the Orange County Tourism Board.

Amazingly, in June,she was approved. In August, she was awarded $4,000 in grant money and raised $2,400 of her own with the stipulation she had to finish the project by May 1.  She was thrilled.  Her artist friends were thrilled. Everyone seemed enthusiastic at the village revitalization board and the merchants guild. Figuring she should start at the top as she moved forward, she asked Mayor Barbara J. Moore to be on a panel judging artwork submissions, to be on the side of an old bowling-alley-turned wallpaper-factory on the way into town. But the mayor, it turned out,was not so thrilled.  And when Ms. Gold was told to present her project at a Sept. 20Village Board meeting, it was clear the mayor and board members didn’t seem interested in any ad hoc art project, telling her, in effect, to put it on buildings tucked away that no one would see or to raise more money and start over.  “It’s not realistic,” the mayor told her. “Any community project should be brought to the Village Hall.”  “I think it’s realistic,” she replied. “I went to the Building Department, not once, but twice. You do not need a permit to paint a building.”  And by all indications, you did not. But at a public hearing on Nov. 1, the village came up with a new approach. Board members concluded that a board including professional artists and experts was needed to review artwork in a community not exactly awash in it.

In the interim,the board passed Local Law No. 2 of 2010, which expires when her grant does on May 1: “The creation and or display within the Village of Greenwood Lake of public art is prohibited.”Exactly what this means isn’t remotely clear. Lawn jockeys? Batik banners on front porches? Stained glass that can be seen from the street? Ms. Gold’s offending proposal, after all, wasn’t for public art as it is usually defined in a public building or park, but on a privately owned building that could be seen mostly by passing cars heading into town along the lake.But apparently the law — or maybe an existing sign ordinance the town attorney already said was not enough to regulate offending art —does apply to the supremely inoffensive and apparently quite well received art Ms. Gold decided to put up under the terms of her grant.

On Feb. 6, she put up three six-and-a-half-foot square artworks on PVC mesh: one of the lake in fall, one of a local summer scene and one that appears like two hoop earrings but includes the names of the artists, participants and granting organization.The building owner was issued a $25 fine and told to take it down by Feb. 22 or risk imprisonment or more fines.

And so Ms. Gold ended up with a different quintessentially American experience: going to court. She contacted a group called Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. Their lawyers from the firm of Robins, Kaplan filed suit in federal court on Tuesday, accusing the village of violating her right to free speech and promulgating an unconstitutional and impossibly broad ban on artistic expression. It’s not quite the American civics lesson she had in mind, she says, but still: “If I had to do it over, I’d do exactly the same thing.

”E-mail: peappl@nytimes.comA version of this article appeared in print on February 17, 2011, on page A25 of the New York edition.

Success! Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with us. Here is a photo of the final result. Please come by, and enjoy the art.

Please join us in mid-winter revelry, celebrating our brand new outdoor art exhibit, and YOU. We are very excited to recognize the effort and support of our neighbors far and wide, and look forward to seeing you at our gathering of Greenwood Lake friends.

In great appreciation,

The Greenwood Lake Mural Team

PS: One of our artists is flying in from Atlanta for this reception!

"Greenwood Lake Greetings"

Celebrate the creative spirit of Greenwood Lake

~ meet the artists ~ mingle with your neighbors ~ see the artwork up close before it is installed ~

~ Light refreshments and wine will be served ~

Louis Delsarte ~ renowned muralist and former long-time resident of Greenwood Forest Farms.
Gad Nusinov ~ resident of Greenwood Lake, whose art reflects his love of our village.
Featuring the jazz piano stylings of Greenwood Lake's own Joe Vincent Tranchina.

The banners are here, and we are ready to celebrate!

Join us on Saturday, February 5th from 3PM till 5PM at the Breezy Point Inn at 620 Jersey Ave, Greenwood Lake, NY. This is only a short walk from the wall paper factory on which the art will soon be displayed.

There will be music, complimentary wine, refreshments, and plenty of opportunity for networking.

We are dedicating the project to Trustee Agnes Kilduff whose passionate devotion to this village deserves special recognition.

If you have anything to contribute about Agnes, about art in general, the community of Greenwood Lake, or yourself as an artist, please come share with us as we present this gift to our community. Both artists will also be on hand to chat or answer questions about their work.

We especially look forward to recognizing our supporters at this event. So please let us know if you are not able to attend.

Below is a mock up of how the art will look once we display it. The dedication banner is in the center, and you will get to see it all up close at the reception.

Thank you from the bottoms of our hearts for making this possible. We look forward to celebrating your dedication, appreciation and support.

For now, enjoy the view, and the snow!

The Greenwood Lake Mural Team

Lots of great news. After getting some input from folks on the Revitalization Committee, we have decided to make our mural portable. We will be printing the work on 4 separate panels made of PVC mesh, the kind of stuff you see hanging outside museums, and in stadiums.

This is great for various reasons;

- One, because we don't have to worry about winter being upon us.
- Two because the work can travel to as many places as we'd like.
- Three, because it will survive even if the building changes hands.
- Four, because other businesses, buildings and municipalities can borrow it for special events.

... the possibilities are endless.

***Interest has already been expressed by other municipalities!

We realize this means it may not last for 10 or 15 years, but since banners are not as labor intensive, this kind of project can be repeated in the future based on the model used here, allowing other artists in GWL a chance to display their art.

In addition, we now have insurance. And the best part is, we got it FOR FREE! Warwick's own Community 2000 has taken us under their wing, THANK YOU! Thanks to this wonderful contribution our modest budget can now be used to;

- install the art professionally
- use top notch equipment in the installation process
- pay a printing house to digitally transfer the art onto the PVC mesh for us
- pay a professional graphic designer to work on our inscription banner
- use all three of the paintings below
- pay a nominal stipend to staff who have worked so hard on this for months

The inscription banner will be 5 feet by 10 and will start with a dedication of the work to Trustee Agnes Kilduff, a beloved community member and supporter of the arts in our village, who passed away last week. It will also list everyone who has contributed over 100 dollars, as promised.

*** One unfortunate development is that the Village Board has instituted a 6 month moratorium on creation or display of public art of any kind. We urge you to investigate this development by contacting village hall. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us here.

As always, thank you for your support, your commitment to this project, and to the arts in GWL!

The GWL Mural Project Team

PS: We are working on a mock up of how these will look once they are hung. Stay tuned!