Jeannie Kamins was tempted to plaster the giant tag that recently blighted her mural at East 33rd Avenue and Knight Street with a sign that read, This was done by some jerk who didnt have the respect for another artist.
Kamins, an artist who lives in Mountain View, spent two weeks in 2009 climbing scaffolding on a narrow sidewalk on a busy street to paint the scene of a great blue heron rookery.
The 72-year-old conceded four years is a pretty good record for her mural on the side of Kona Stained Glass to survive unharmed.
Kamins learned about the vandalism a week and a half ago. The incident has been filed with the police.
I wasnt very happy, she said.
The tag reaches right to the top of the wall. Kamins said her son told her some taggers use fire extinguishers to spray the paint that high.
Tuesday afternoon Kamins had spoken to Nathan Pope of the citys Integrated Graffiti Management Program. She reported Pope said the program no longer helps fund murals but allows artists to patch up paintings that have been damaged.
Now the city has agreed to cover the cost of removing the giant tag for an estimated cost of $900. The city hopes the buildings owner, tenant or the community would help fund touch-ups or repairs.
The labour of an artist isnt worth anything but to get the guy who sprays it off. Artists, as a general group, make half the amount of money as the technician, Kamins said.
It may be that the owner will chip in a chunk because they would have had to pay something and they should pay something towards me, she added.
Kamins said she painted the mural in 2009 with money from the city and the property owner.
Property owners in Vancouver are usually responsible for the cost of erasing graffiti from their buildings. According to the citys graffiti bylaw, a property owner has 10 days to remove graffiti after receiving a notice from the city. If the graffiti is not dealt with, the city has the right to remove the graffiti and to recover the cost from the property owner.
Scott Edwards, manager of street activities for the city, said covering the cost is part of the citys mural program.
The city axed portions of its graffiti management program in 2010 for a savings of $300,000. But it reinstated the budget in 2011, staff in 2012, because it found that taking a coordinated approach to graffiti was essential, according to Edwards.
The city is reintroducing aspects of its graffiti management program in phases and youth whove been caught painting graffiti and are trying to go legit with street art will paint two new murals through a program called RestART this year. The city provides free paint and helps coordinate members of the community members to remove graffiti.
Anyone who spots tags or graffiti should call the city at 311. Property owners can receive free paint through the city to cover vandalism.
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