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Community raising money to repaint Graffiti Alley after murals get painted over

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — People in Fountain Square came up with a new way to keep artistic expression alive after many voiced frustration over a property owner painting over Graffiti Alley.

“We want to make sure that they feel compensated properly for their work,” co-owner of Square Cat Vinyl Mike Angel said.

Angel is pushing to restore the Graffiti Alley at the Fountain Square Cultural Art District. The building owner’s attorney says it was all just a big mistake that the artwork was covered over and they welcome artists to use the building once again as their canvas. So, the record shop set up a GoFundMe page to raise $10,000. The money will go directly to the artists.

“I know a lot of people say the building owner should pay for the murals, but we’re not going to sit around and wait. So we’re just going to rally the community to get the funds together,” Angel said.

“I want the mural to stay,” local muralist Dan “Handskillz” Thompson said. “Everybody wants their work to stay, but the reality is I did have that mural there and I did have that spot there and if there’s a chance I can get the spot back I want that spot back.”

Thompson says even though he’s grateful for the support, he doesn’t want to see property owners push back.

“We are now in a world where someone could do one mural, it gets painted over and the community is outraged. That’s a beautiful thing to see. I just don’t want to see people demonize property owners because our fate is in their hands,” Thompson said.

He says Fountain Square is now a destination for these murals and that people expect them to be there.

“But I remember when they weren’t there and I’m grateful to property owners like Koehring that I ever got to do that in the first place,” Thompson said.

So far, the community has raised more than $2,000.