For decades graffiti art has been frowned upon, even criminalized.
But in recent years, many businesses are utilizing the talent of street artists to beautify their buildings.
One Ottawa Street business owner did just that - paid for street art - only to have it vandalized.
Artist David Derkatz spent a month and $15,000 painting two large murals on the building on Ottawa Street, but within a week of completion, the artwork was ruined.
“Art in any city helps bring communities together,” he says. “It’s super disheartening to see, you know. A negative thing on such a positive mural."
Vandals took white paint to the lower portions of both walls.
This mural is on the Mister HQ building near Lanspeary Park. It covers a 30-foot-by-75-foot span of the building with a jungle theme and a 20-foot-by-90-foot span with Roman and Greek god and goddess figures.
Building owner David Burman says the culprits finished the job by spraying the front of his business.
Burman says he was devastated.
“I was actually pretty hysterical,” he says. “We put our blood, sweat and tears into this. It wasn't an overnight project. We've worked on this for six months.”
In a twist of irony, Burman commissioned Derkatz to do the street art because the building used to have distasteful graffiti on it.
“We do have some information on who did it. So we're hoping we'll be able to hand that over to the police today," Burman says.
He is offering a $500 reward for any other tips to catch the vandals.
