Potter’s Alley mural defaced, under investigation
City birthday artwork hit by vandalism
Vandals struck a mural in Potter’s Alley downtown honoring the city’s sesquicentennial and police want the public’s help nabbing the taggers.
Potter’s Alley, located behind the McCrory Timmerman Building at Second and Main streets, features a variety of sanctioned artworks by area painters, including Dennis Levitin, and is a popular site with locals and visitors alike.
“It’s bad taste to deface other people’s art,” Levitin said. “Whoever did this is not part of the graffiti culture.”
The vandal or vandals damaged a mural commemorating Taylor’s 150th birthday.
The message over the artwork included the phrase “(expletive) your data centers.” Observers said it could be a reference to an ongoing controversy involving a data center proposed for Taylor’s south side.
According to authorities, a Taylor police officer at 7:40 a.m. Tuesday, July 21, discovered the newly painted mural “riddled in black spray paint writing.”
Investigators believe the damage was done the night before.
Depending on the cost of the damage, the penalty could range from a Class C misdemeanor to a felony, officers said.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 512-352-5551.
Levitin said at one time the space known as Potter’s Alley was widely ignored for years until building owner Ricardo Zuniga encouraged local artists to responsibly use it as a canvas.
“When we started this project, this alley had no attention, there was trash in the alley, and nobody cared about it,” Levitin said. “We emphasize bringing joy and happiness through graffiti art.”
Derek Hilla, owner of True Barber Shop in the McCrory Timmermann Building, shared similar sentiments about the marring of the city’s mural.
The city had painted over earlier artwork to create the sesquicentennial commemoration, which in turn was tagged by vandalism.
“I wasn’t a big fan of them doing a painting over the original artwork performed by local artists, but I’m not going to spray paint anything,” Hilla said. “I don’t believe in vandalism, but I’m also a big proponent of free speech. I’d rather somebody spray paint something than burn a business down or throw a brick through a window.”
Meanwhile, Levitin’s colorful cartoon illustrations and murals can be seen all over town, including on the walls of Old Taylor High, in the courtyard of Black Sparrow Music Parlor, on the garden door of St. James’ Episcopal Church and in other locales.
He also created a 10-foot-rendition of the Transformers character Optimus Prime along the wall of Potter’s Alley. In addition, Levitin has a cartoon strip featured in the weekend edition of the Taylor Press.
