Mural Butterfly
Can Art (by which I mean music, theater, dance, as well as the visual arts) really make a difference in the world?
I’ve always thought so. I had the distinct privilege of going to a high school that was focused on the arts and that experience has left me with a deep-seated conviction that art and artists can indeed change the world.
Last summer I had the good fortune to interview a local artist (turns out she was a neighbor of mine!) who had a similar view for an article in our local paper. She had just received approval and funding to paint a mural on a pedestrian underpass in our little hamlet. Although Niwot is very close to the mythical Mayberry in its small town atmosphere and lack of ‘big city’ problems, there are always a few mischief makers shall we say…
Bre walked through this underpass nearly every day and was getting tired of seeing it covered with graffiti*. Having read articles that suggested that this sort of vandalism tended to decrease when the surfaces were covered with art, she volunteered to paint a mural on the walls of the underpass. Local leaders were supportive and she quickly got both the county approval and grant money to purchase supplies.
It was a great community project and all last summer she was out there either by herself or with a handful of volunteers cleaning and painting. I even took my son and some of his friends out for a couple of hours one day and we helped with some touch-ups on the base coat.
Earlier this week I heard that the mural had been ‘tagged’ and I was seriously bummed out. I felt bad for Bre, thinking that an artist’s hard work had been trashed by some bozos with a can of spray paint. But I was probably even more disappointed that the whole grand plan of using art to prevent vandalism had failed.
Yesterday I went walking with a friend and we ended up at the underpass and I saw the damage for myself. It looks like three taggers, armed with black, white and gold spray paint came and left their mark.
Again, my first thought was, “This just sucks.” I just couldn’t get why someone would feel the need to destroy what another had created. But then I took a closer look. And then I realized something quite remarkable (at least to me!).
Instead of refuting the idea that art can deter vandalism, they had in fact reinforced the point.
Instead of refuting the idea that art can deter vandalism, they had in fact reinforced the point.
Because here’s the fascinating thing: they hadn’t painted over the buffalo. They hadn’t painted over the big red barn or the hay bales. And they hadn’t even painted over the butterfly. The truth was, they hadn’t painted over ANY of the art. They had confined their tags to the section of the wall that had only the very first layer of color: a cloudless blue sky and a featureless green field.
Mural Graffiti
Now don’t get me wrong, it still sucks that someone will have to go out and clean up this mess- but it seems like this is one of those paradoxical situations where a closer look at what looks like something going wrong can tell you what’s going right.
As counterintuitive as it might be, it seems to me that at least in this case, the vandals themselves have shown us that art can indeed make a difference.
*Note- I’m not suggesting that all graffiti is in fact vandalism. Graffiti certainly can be a legitimate artistic expression under the right circumstances. As with many other things… it’s all about consent!
Your turn: Do you think art can change the world? How or where have you seen it happen? Please share!
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