BLM artwork removed by city employees

BLM artwork removed by city employees

PATTERSON PARK.

THIS MORNING 5OF THEM WERE RIPPED OUT OF THEGROUND AND ALMOST BROUGHT TOTHE DUMP BY CITY EMPLOYEES.ONLY ON 2 WMAR'S EDDIE KADHIMTALKED TO THE ARTISTS AND THEPEOPLE WHO WENT THROUGH ALL OFTHE RIGHT CHANNELS TO LEGALLYINSTALL THE ART..... AND STILLHAD THEIR WORK DAMAGED BY CITYEMPLOYEES.Angela Davis is an activist,author, and professor who wasalso part of the Black Panthermovement.

ShMannin“Sherelevant today.

Thatdecided to paint her.

I wantedto Show her Afro.

I say ourhair defies gravity.

Blackpeople hair defies gravity andour hair is important to us.“It's One of the 12 mini muralsfacing the Eastern Avenue siof Patterson Park.“If I canuse my talents to make changethatTo see it on one of the mostgentrified areas of the city.People that donand they are appreciatingthis” Sharing their messagesfor everyone who walks ordrives by the park.“One of mymissions is to share myartwork with the world.

Thatwhy I teach because I want topour into the youth thatactually come from the samecommunity” Karley and JoeSgandurra wanted to do more.“This project was a way for usto take it off of social mediaand bring it to the forefrontof the conversation and put itfront of a neighborhood whereit ca” OnWednesday they picked up ahammer to put thesepieces...after a long proces“Over the past 8 weeks gettingall the proper documentationthe planning the site plansthe insurance to make sureeverything is 100% correct andlegal to set these up and weset them up Wednesday of thisweek” Two days later theystarted getting messages andpictures of Park Rangersripping the murals out of theground.

He says theneighborhood responded andstarted protecting theinstallations.“They ran outto the other murals thathavenstood by them on guard untilwe could get here.

Oneneighbor her name is Lydia shecalled her husband and theyran out and threw it on top oftheir car and hid it in theirgarage so the park rangerswould” Aspokesperson for BaltimoreCity Rec and Parks says theygranted a permit and lookedforward to the finalInstallation.

Saying“Unfortunately, due to arecent change in staff, amiscommunication occurredresulting in the removal ofsome of the artwork.

Due tothe diligence of a communitymember, this was brought toour attention and the pieceswere restored within thehour”“For them to be rippedand thrown in the back of atruck without a phone call?

Wejust want answers.

We donunderstand where thedisconnect was.

Itreally unfortunate” Rec andParks also acknowledgedallegations that one of therangers who was taking downthe murals had been reportedfor racial misconduct in thepast saying, that's notreflective of their values andthey are investigating.

Mypiece was one of the ones thatgot vandalized and taken down.Therebut just like Angela Davisitcontinue to work together anddo things like this” When the2 month permit is up some ofthe murals will go to theReginald F Lewis Museum.Messages of love, resilience,and power for all to see.

InPatterson Park Eddie KadhimWMAR2 News.BALTIMORE CITY COUNCILMA