MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's note: The video above first aired on May 24, 2023.
In many cases painting a wall or building in a public park can earn you a citation and lighten your wallet.
A new public art project in Minneapolis is putting a spin on things by using murals, planned and executed by local artists, to discourage taggers and vandals.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) announced the project Thursday as part of its "Parks for All" comprehensive program. Nine local artists are paired with a park site and given a goal from the MPRB plan.
Jacqui Rosenbush was the first to complete her mural at the Lake Harriet Trolley Tunnel, based on a goal of "work from our strengths and determine our role in partnerships."
Here is a list of the planned mural sites, artists and the park board goal they represent. They will be painted throughout the summer and fall.
Goal 1: Foster belonging and equity
Artist: Aaron Johnson-Ortiz
Location: Powderhorn Park restroom building
Goal 2: Steward a continuum of nature and recreation
Artist: Jacob Dwyer
Location: Franklin Steele Square park building
Goal 3: Provide core services with care
Artist: Melodee Strong
Location: Cleveland Park restroom building
Goal 4: Work from our strengths and determine our role in partnerships
Artist: Jacqui Rosenbush
Location: Lake Harriet trolley tunnel
Goal 5: Expand focus on health equity
Artist: Constanza Carballo
Location: Van Cleve Park pump house
Goal 6: Strengthen ecological connections
Artist: Thomasina TopBear
Location: Bde Maka Ska Parkway wall
Goal 7: Connect through communications and technology
Artist: Kao Lee Thao
Location: Boom Island river wall
Goal 8: Cultivate a thriving workforce
Artist: Rock Martinez
Location: Windom NE Park warming room
Goal 9: Operate a financially sustainable enterprise
Artist: Xena Goldman
Location: West River Parkway retaining wall
Each of the murals will be finished with a graffiti-prevention seal coat. The art works are expected to last 10 years or so.
MPRB says the sites that were selected are frequent targets for vandalism that require many hours of labor each year to remove and repaint. The board estimates that each of the proposed sites requires approximately 15 to 20 labor hours each year to remove graffiti removal. It is not a cheap endeavor: Over the past four years, MPRB has spent an average of $133,000 annually on graffiti removal.
For more information on the mural project and the Parks for All comprehensive plan, check out the MPRB website.
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