Art vs. graffiti: Why were San Francisco murals in famous Mission alley painted over?
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Several murals in San Francisco's Clarion Alley were painted over last month, leaving artists and neighbors angry and raising questions about what rights property owners have when artwork is painted on their buildings.
The Clarion Alley Mural Project, or CAMP, says three murals were completely painted over and a fourth was partially destroyed on Aug. 24.
CAMP is the community group behind the murals in the alley, which has been home to public art in the Mission District for more than three decades.
Sarah Kennedy, who has lived in the neighborhood since 1987, said she walks through Clarion Alley several times a month.
"Clarion Alley is just a really, really important part of the neighborhood," Kennedy said.
One of the murals that was painted over was a 2016 memorial to San Francisco activist Kirsten Brydum, who was shot and killed in New Orleans in 2008.
On Monday, ABC7 Eyewitness News witnessed someone drilling into the whitewashed wall where the mural had been to hang a photograph of a memorial held for Brydum.
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Purple paint has also been added to the wall reading "IN PROGRESS."
CAMP says a worker painted over the murals after the building owner received a report about graffiti.
ABC7 Eyewitness News tracked down the man connected to the trust that owns the property. He walked away without answering questions and directed ABC7 Eyewitness News to the building's property manager.
The property manager later said in a statement, "We too love the murals. Sadly, the owner received a call about graffiti and sent his team out to remove the graffiti."
Kennedy questioned how the murals could have been mistaken for graffiti.
"Why did you paint over something that was beautiful?" she said.
She also initially described the act as a crime.
Attorney Brooke Oliver, who specializes in artists' rights and has handled mural disputes across California, said the legal distinction is important.
"It's not a crime. It's a civil violation," Oliver said.
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Oliver said murals can be protected under the federal Visual Artists Rights Act, which gives artists certain rights over original works of art even when those works are painted on someone else's property.
"The property owners don't have ultimate rights," Oliver said. "They can't just go out there and paint it out."
Oliver said the law can require property owners to give artists notice and an opportunity to remove or preserve qualifying artwork before it is destroyed.
She has worked on previous mural disputes in Clarion Alley and elsewhere in the Bay Area.
"The value of art can't be underestimated," Oliver said. "And it takes a village to make it happen. And it takes just one reckless, intentional act to destroy it."
Visitors to the alley also questioned whether ownership of the building should give someone complete control over the murals.
"The person may own the wall, but they don't own the alley," one visitor said.
CAMP is now raising money to have the murals redone. Restoration work is expected to begin within the next week.
Oliver said it is too early to know whether the dispute will end up in court. She said cases like this are often resolved through negotiations between artists, community groups and property owners.
