Hotcakes Galley in Riverwest will close for the month of December to protest "the spread of bad public art," said owner Mike Brenner in a statement on Tuesday.

"Greg Euclide (who grew up in Milwaukee) and I, decided it would be best to reschedule his upcoming show and close Hotcakes for all of December," Brenner wrote in an e-mail. "As a form of silent protest Hotcakes Gallery will go dark from now until January 18. Closing for the busiest part of the retail year, Hotcakes owner, Mike Brenner, is putting his money where his mouth is, to do whatever he can to stop the spread of bad public art.

"Euclide's show will instead open in June, following his show at Mass MOCA."

Last week, Brenner turned heads with a statement saying he'd quit his post with Milwaukee Artist Resource Network -- which he co-founded -- close his Riverwest Gallery and leave Milwaukee if Visit Milwaukee went ahead with its plan to erect a bronze monument to the "Fonzie" character from television's "Happy Days."

Shortly after, a number of other protests -- including one from outgoing Milwaukee Art Museum director David Gordon -- followed.

Visit Milwaukee's Dave Fantle responded to Brenner's initial statement with an offer to discuss the matter. According to the gallery owner, who is in Miami for an art event, the two will meet when Brenner returns to Milwaukee .