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http://www.omniture.com --> Email Story to a Friend July 7, 2006 Self-taught artist Sean Samuel Kelly removed most of the artwork from his Ashland yard following an attack Wednesday. (Mail Tribune) Attack prompts removal of art By John Darling for the Mail Tribune and Robert Plain ASHLAND — A 24-year-old Ashland man was charged Thursday with felony assault in the pummeling of an artist noted for his yard full of brightly colored, big-canvas paintings at Mountain Avenue and Siskiyou Boulevard. Sean Kelly lost a front tooth in the attack by about eight young males just after midnight, when streets were filled with people setting off fireworks. Kelly and roommate Andrew Mills said they were struck in the head, then kicked while on the ground. Another roommate, David Barry, also was assaulted. While sitting Thursday in his yard with his roommates, Kelly responded to shouts of support from passersby at the busy intersection. Kelly had removed a score of his vivid abstract paintings, saying he was not afraid but "didn't want to put his roommates in harm's way." A big sign in the yard explained the situation: "Due to the fascist bullies who attacked me and my roommates here on the 4th of July I am removing all of my artwork — all apologies. Sean." A Jackson County grand jury in Medford on Thursday indicted Daniel Sterling Prichard on one count of third-degree assault and one count of fourth-degree assault, with a preliminary hearing likely next week, said Jackson County Deputy District Attorney Karen Loomis. A juvenile whose name was not available also was charged. Kelly said the group of attackers threatened to burn down the art and their house, called him and others at the house derogatory names and eventually assaulted him. He said he was blind-sided with a punch that knocked out a tooth and put him on the ground, and then the group kicked and punched him. "It was one of the scariest things I've ever been through," Kelly said. "It was like a nightmare. They were like a pit bull on steroids." "There may be more arrests to come out of this," Ashland police Sgt. Teresa Selby said. Selby said the incident started when "some fireworks were thrown" 20 minutes earlier from a property across the street from Kelly's house. Kelly said he asked the people throwing the fireworks to leave. When the group showed up at his house later, he noticed one person from the earlier incident. "We heard voices coming up from behind the parking lot," Kelly said. "We could tell right away it was something different. There were seven or eight guys and they started pounding on my artwork, punching and kicking it." Kelly said they were all dressed in black and the person who punched him had his wrists wrapped like a streetfighter prepared for a brawl. "I was just trying to get them out of here," he said. "They said they were going to get a gun and shoot us and burn the house down. They were dressed like some kind of evil militia. It was like they were ready for war." He said he and his roommates tried to convince them to leave for about 10 minutes before the attack broke out. His roommates also were attacked, but Kelly said he suffered the worst of it. "He clocked me right in the face," Kelly said. "I lost a tooth and will lose another one. When I was on the ground they started kicking and punching me. My back is all bruised up. They treated us like dogs. They told me to get on my knees and say 'I'm sorry.' Now the guy who punched me is going to have to deal with my medical bills." Kelly said that after the incident he tried to flag down cars to help him contact the police, to no avail. He said he feels the attack was motivated by hate and fear. "Basically they attacked us because our house was colorful," he said. "They came over here to really hurt someone." Neighbor Melissa Jensen called the incident "atrocious, a real shame," adding "it's not typical of this community. People need to feel safe in their homes and property." Barry, one of Kelly's roommates, said they recognized most of the attacking group as "drunk high school kids." Kelly's art has been taken to Nuwandart Gallery on A Street in Ashland for a showing, he said. He said the attack will not keep him from his art. "But I don't want this house to be a target for weird people who want to harm us. They were like a lynch mob," said Kelly. "But townspeople have been cool. I never realized how much the community appreciated what we do. It's a shame it took something like this to bring them together." Robert Plain is a reporter for the Ashland Daily Tidings. He can be reached at 482-3456 or [email protected]. John Darling is a freelance writer living in Ashland. E-mail him at [email protected]. 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