A TV station reported Serb Hall took down presidential portraits because of diversity complaints. Serb Hall says that's not true.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Three and a half months after removing seven large presidential portraits as part of a renovation in one of the large halls, American Serb Hall officials are perplexed over complaints that the paintings were removed for political reasons.

American Serb Hall general manager Nicholas Alioto disputes media reports that the oil paintings of seven presidents who spoke at Serb Hall were taken down for political reasons.

In this 2016 photo, supporters listen in the Hall of Presidents next to a portrait of Pres. Jimmy Carter as Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson campaigns at Milwaukee's American Serb Hall. Seven large paintings of presidents who spoke at Serb Hall and were painted in the late 1980s have been placed in storage because of renovations.

"This portrayal that it was one customer complaining about diversity and we ran for the hills, it wasn't that," Alioto said in a phone interview Wednesday.

Milwaukee Ald. Bob Donovan got a call from a friend, a retired city employee, who saw a report Tuesday night on WISN-TV that said complaints that the paintings were not diverse and pictured only white men prompted their removal.

"I think it's stupid. I think it's an example of the lack of common sense in this day and age," said Donovan, who has appeared at Serb Hall over the years and announced his candidacy for mayor at the south side institution.

Known for its Friday night fish fries, Serb Hall hosts events ranging from political rallies and weddings to proms, meetings and quinceaneras.

Many groups renting the facility's Wisconsin Hall and Presidents Hall have asked for the paintings to be removed during their events, said Alioto.

"They're hard to take down and store properly," said Alioto, adding that weddings are Serb Hall's primary moneymaker. "People who book weddings like clean walls. People have themes they want to do at their events and they shouldn't be defined by our choice in artwork.

"These events that wanted those pictures down didn't say, 'Oh, it's just old white men.' They said it detracted from what they wanted their theme to be."

The 5-foot-tall portraits were commissioned in the late 1980s and feature presidents who appeared at Serb Hall: Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

Ronald Reagan was joined by his wife, Nancy, at Serb Hall in Milwaukee on the presidential campaign trail in 1980.

"It's equal opportunity Democrats and Republicans. We've historically been a building that's had a lot of political events," said Alioto.

Alioto acknowledged Serb Hall has gotten a lot of calls following the WISN story.

"We had people saying how come we took down Trump’s picture? We never had a picture of Trump. We had people saying how come we took down Obama’s picture? We didn't — these portraits were done years ago," said Alioto.

Earlier this year, the portraits were placed in storage during renovations that included a thorough cleaning and painting part of the walls a deeper blue.

Alioto said Serb Hall officials haven't determined what they will do with the portraits, though it's possible they will be hung in another area of the facility or get fitted with covers to accommodate groups renting one of the halls that don't want to look at large presidential portraits. He did say the paintings are not for sale.