Black Lives Matter street mural (Springfield, Massachusetts)

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Black Lives Matter street mural
Black Lives Matter street mural, Springfield MA.jpg
Black Lives Matter street mural
Black Lives Matter street mural (Springfield, Massachusetts)
Year2020 (2020)
Location Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Coordinates 42°06′04″N72°35′22″W / 42.1011°N 72.5895°W / 42.1011; -72.5895

In September 2020, a "Black Lives Matter" street mural was painted in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. The mural has 20-foot-tall yellow letters covering both lanes of Court Street. It was vandalized three times within a month, prompting multiple searches for culprits and repairs to damage. The project was organized by City Councilor at Large Tracye Whitfield, who spearheaded the creation of another "Black Lives Matter" mural following the multiple incidents of vandalism.

Contents

Description

The street mural had the text "Black Lives Matter" in yellow letters measuring 20 feet tall. The letters are equal in height but different in width. The "M" is 13 feet wide and the "I" is approximately 2 feet wide. The Republican described the mural as "classic typography on a huge scale". [1] The mural covers both lanes of Court Street in front of City Hall and Symphony Hall. [2] [3]

History

The mural was endorsed by mayor Domenic Sarno (pictured in 2023), who also vowed to find the culprits of multiple instances of vandalism. Mayor Sarno Sept. 11th Ceremony 2023 (cropped).jpg
The mural was endorsed by mayor Domenic Sarno (pictured in 2023), who also vowed to find the culprits of multiple instances of vandalism.

The mural was painted in Court Square [1] in September 2020. [4] The project was organized by Tracye Whitfield, City Councilor at Large, [5] [6] and endorsed by mayor Domenic Sarno. [7] Traffic was blocked between Main Street and East Columbus Avenue for a weekend while the mural was painted by an estimated 40 volunteers using 25 gallons of paint. Kim Carlino was the lead artist and Ramiro Davaro managed logistics. Carlino outlined the letters using a grid method. [1] The project was supported by Common Wealth Murals via the Fresh Paint Springfield program. [3] It was the second "Black Lives Matter" mural installed in the city. In mid 2020, one had been installed at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center on Rutland Street. [8]

The Court Square mural was vandalized twice within the month, [9] [10] and again in October. [11] [12] The first incident involved tire burnout and occurred soon after the mural was completed. [13] [14] Sarno was "disheartened" by the vandalism. He asked authorities to find the culprit using surveillance footage and for city crews to repair the damage. [4] After repairs, tire marks were left again days later. Sarno said the incident was caught on camera and once again vowed to identify the culprit and repair the damage. [9] [10] Whitfield and eight volunteers spent three hours repainting the mural. [11]

The third incident involved a bicyclist using spray paint to deface the mural. The incident was also caught on camera and a case was assigned to a Springfield Police detective. [11] [12] Whitfield said the multiple incidents of vandalism inspired her and other volunteers who worked on the mural to paint another "Black Lives Matter" mural on the side of a building near Stearns Square in downtown Springfield "with a sense of purpose and enthusiasm". [8] [15] [16]

In 2022, plans were made to install a rainbow-colored crosswalk ahead of the city's 2023 pride parade. The painting was slated to be installed on Main Street at its intersection with Court Square and Bruce Landon Way. The executive director of the Springfield Cultural Partnership said the location "is a natural in part because it would form a straight line connecting" the "Black Lives Matter" mural with the SPark! Public Art Display in the Pynchon Plaza at Landon Way and Chestnut Street. Finn acknowledged the possibility of vandalism given the incidents related to the "Black Lives Matter" mural. [3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Canton, Dave (2020-09-12). "Black Lives Matter mural spreads across Springfield's Court Square". The Republican . Advance Publications. OCLC   52000893. Archived from the original on 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2025-02-26.
  2. ↑ "Springfield paints Black Lives Matter mural near City Hall". WWLP. 2020-09-14. Archived from the original on 2021-08-04. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
  3. 1 2 3 Johnson, Patrick (2022-06-20). "Springfield to add rainbow Pride crosswalk on Main Street; installation planned for spring 2023". The Republican. Archived from the original on 2023-05-14. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
  4. 1 2 "Black Lives Matter mural in Springfield vandalized by burnout". WWLP. 2020-09-15. Archived from the original on 2021-03-09. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
  5. ↑ Goonan, Peter (2020-09-03). "Springfield schedules painting of Black Lives Matter mural at Court Square". The Republican. Archived from the original on 2022-05-16. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
  6. ↑ Goudreau, Chris (2020-10-08). "A Movement's Moment: How Springfield is responding to a scathing DOJ report". Valley Advocate. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
  7. ↑ "Springfield Planning To Remove 'Unofficial' Black Lives Matter Mural". WAMC. 2020-07-22. Retrieved 2025-02-26.
  8. 1 2 "Volunteers paint new Black Lives Matter mural in downtown Springfield". WWLP. 2020-10-10. Archived from the original on 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2025-02-26.
  9. 1 2 "Black Lives Matter Mural In Springfield Vandalized For The Second Time In A Week". www.wbur.org. 21 September 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-11-28. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
  10. 1 2 "Springfield's Black Lives Matter mural vandalized 2nd time in a week". The Republican. 2020-09-21. Archived from the original on 2021-01-10. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
  11. 1 2 3 "Springfield Black Lives Matter mural defaced for the third time". The Republican. 2020-10-05. Archived from the original on 2020-12-12. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
  12. 1 2 "Black Lives Matter mural in Springfield defaced for third time". WWLP. October 5, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Black Lives Matter mural in Massachusetts vandalized one day after its completion". WHNT.com. 2020-09-15. Archived from the original on 2021-01-21. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
  14. ↑ Johnson, Patrick (2020-09-15). "Black Lives Matter mural at Springfield City Hall defaced by tire tracks; Mayor Sarno condemns 'act of intolerance'". The Republican. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
  15. ↑ Dobbs, G. Michael (2020-10-13). "Local artists create new Black Lives Matter mural in Springfield in one day". Reminder Online Archives. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
  16. ↑ Canton, Dave (2020-10-10). "Springfield residents paint 2nd Black Lives Matter mural". The Republican. Archived from the original on 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
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