Kansas City BLM mural artists want to turn recent ‘act of hate’ into work of art
Harold Smith, the lead artist on a recently-damaged Black Lives Matter mural in Kansas City, has hopes the vandalism can be turned into a work of art.
“Rather than satisfy the vandal by going through the effort to erase their act of hate, we should use artistic and creative means to make it a part of the art,” Smith said Monday afternoon. “That would be a profound social and artistic statement the same way Black musicians have channeled their pain to create the blues.”
On Monday, black tire marks and white paint could be seen streaking across the words “Black Lives Matter” at the intersection of Northwest Briarcliff Parkway and North Mulberry Drive. The mural is one of six painted across city streets in large, colorful block letters thanks to the the work of local artists and community members.
Smith said he would love to see the community respond to the damage with a block party incorporating music, food, dancing and poetry as artists add their own interpretations of the vandalism to the mural.
“Love wins over hate. Joy wins over sadness. And good, in the end, defeats evil,” he said of the collaboration that brought people from across the metro together for a recent weekend in September “to remind Kansas Citians that we must still work to eradicate varying forms of racism, including systemic racism, racial profiling, and unnecessary killings at the hands of law enforcement or self appointed vigilantes.”
The murals, completed the first week of September, are part of the KC Art on the Block project. They span 2,000 feet of street and involved 1,000 volunteers, hundreds of gallons of paint and six local Black artists leading the designs.
The damage ‘was not meant for good’
Michael Toombs, another artist behind the murals, suggested the damage can be used as a visual representation of the negative behavior that cuts through society.
The stripes of track marks and splashes of white paint running through the center of the mural can serve as a reminder, he said, so that when people say, “well, it’s better out there now,” others can point to the mural and say, “well, no, not really.”
Toombs, who created the design and oversaw the painting at the 31st and Troost location, said though he’s dedicated his life to finding ways to bring people together, some people prefer to just be angry.
“We all have feelings about the things that are going on right now in the world,” Toombs said Monday evening. “But nothing has ever gotten better by hurting someone else, ever.”
What was the goal of this damage, he asked aloud, to say Black lives aren’t welcome in Kansas City? To say Black lives will never be accepted?
“What I would remind them of is, in order for us to ever have peace in our world and in our lives, we have to figure out how to live together because this world is very small and it’s getting smaller,” he said, directing his comments to whomever caused the damage.
Toombs emphasized that while there’s no specific evidence yet to indicate the damage was an act of racism, he said it was “very specific and focused, and it was not meant for good.”
Artist’s focus is on reason behind the murals
Sgt. Jake Becchina, a spokesman for the Kansas City Police Department, said police are unsure of the intent of the damage at this time.
He added that while the department isn’t currently investigating the incident, they may be able to if a police report is filed and value of property damage is determined.
“If an investigation is launched we would work with the prosecutors to determine what if any potential criminal charges could apply,” Becchina said in an email Monday evening.
However, Becchina said if a value had been established and the city wanted to claim property damage, the damage to the mural wouldn’t qualify because the city ordinance specifically makes reference to damage from “spray paint.” In this case, Becchina said, the white paint “looks like paint slung from a bucket.”
In the meantime, Toombs said he hopes the focus remains on the reason behind the murals in the first place.
In August, City Council voted 12-1 in support of the project, with a resolution saying that the city “recognizes the importance and significance of the Black Lives Matter movement,” and wants to “sanction the legitimacy of this powerful initiative aimed at advancing social justice and racial equity.”
Though the city did not pay for the murals, they helped control traffic and close streets to get the project done. Donations paid for supplies and artists’ time.
The City of Kansas City, the Kansas City branch of the NAACP, American Institute of Architects Kansas City, Troost Market Collective and the Urban League of Greater Kansas City helped organize the project.
Toombs recalled the first day of painting, which kicked off with rain. Then, it became so hot that the temperatures affected the paint. His teams of volunteers lost several hours of work at Toombs’ site because of this.
By the end of the day, he worried they wouldn’t have enough people return Sunday to finish the mural.
But when he arrived the next morning, groups were already there, paintbrushes in hand.
“I was blown away. By the end of the day it was done. It was like magic,” Toombs said. “It reminds me that no matter what we may feel about all of these negative things that are going on ... the true spirit of Kansas City showed up that day.”
This story was originally published September 15, 2020 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Kansas City BLM mural artists want to turn recent ‘act of hate’ into work of art."
