Ads everywhere

Regarding "Onorato Orders Halt to Removal of Artworks" (Feb. 16): As a teenager and art lover, I was horrified to hear that Pittsburgh International Airport would consider removing artwork to make room for advertisers. However, my shock increased as I read, "The county is aggressively exploring ... selling advertising in public buildings and other public places like parks and ice rinks."

Advertising surrounds us. I cannot ride a Port Authority bus six miles from the Carnegie Museum of Art in Oakland to my home without being bombarded by numerous billboards, ads in and on the sides of buses, company cars with glaring neon mottos and posters covering every inch of telephone poles. To escape this onslaught of advertisements, I seek refuge in the serenity of a nearby park. If the county chooses to place ads in these outdoor sanctuaries as well our streets and buses, will we ever be able to find peace in our hectic lives?

Our country is in a recession, and our nation is sinking deeper into debt. But if the only way to recover is to replace our national and cultural treasures with billboards and commercials, we must question whether the monetary gain is really worth the community's loss.

CHRISTIANNA BARNARD
Forest Hills