Anyone recognize the scene in this picture? I was so excited to see this completely blank wall this evening, that I drove back around to take a photo just for you.
Need a hint? Here's what it looked like before.
That's right! After 11 months, the graffiti on Hartford Avenue has been cleaned off. It took the combined actions of the Mayor's office, the Downtown Business District, the Police and the Department of Public Works -- but eventually, the state Department of Transportation came and painted it over.
Perhaps there are cynics among our readers who think it's easy to get rid of graffiti, or that it doesn't matter since it might just get tagged again tomorrow. But -- and you can hum America the Beautiful here -- I'm glad to live in a town where people care enough to stick with the messy, boring work of getting this stuff done. So here's my public thank you to Billy Russo, Mayor Seb, Marie Kalita Leary, Karen Atwell, Police Chief Baldoni and even Mr. Spitola of the D.O.T.
To me, it's a sign that we might just be tenacious to make this whole thing work. We just have to stick with it. There's certainly plenty of other graffiti in town for us to practice on!
Here in Holland many cities (large & small) are providing huge billboard-size walls in their parks for Graffiti Artists.
ReplyDeleteLocated near roads, bike & walking paths, these walls are a huge hit. In addition to providing a public art-space for graffiti artists to show off their talents (many of whom are amazing artists!), it has indeed reduced defacing of public properties. The small percentage of destructive graffiti on public and private property is very noticeable.
Perhaps this idea is too obvious a solution for America's municipalities to think of all on their own? In any case, the news is out...maybe Middletown can take this ball and run with it? If it works, so what if Hartford follows suit and claims the credit for it.
The point is, these Graffiti Artist Walls really work here.
By the way, the neighbors walk past on a regular basis to check on the artists' in the 'hoods latest works. It's a very cool co-existence.
The Middletown Press did an article in Saturday's newspaper about graffiti around the city and how the DBD is sponsoring a workshop for business owners about how to deal with it. Can you link that story here?
ReplyDeleteAlso, the city has yet to clean up the large amount of graffiti on the old bank drive-through (on the white-painted brick) in the brickwalk area that connects Court street (behind Klekolo) to College Street.
Where is the high water mark from the flood of 36 was it 38
ReplyDeleteIt was 1936. Hartford Ave., South wall by the stairs. Unless someone stole it.
ReplyDelete