Vandals hit charity’s trailer
Artists work day and night to repair damage
When Guitar Rock Shelter founder J.R. Fleet arrived at the charity’s colourful trailer Thursday, he wanted to cry.
Sometime overnight, vandals had poured varnish and sprayed fluorescent green and gold paint on the murals of 1980s rock legends that cover the trailer, Fleet said.
The vandalism occurred less than 24 hours before the mural’s artist was to paint the finishing touches, sign his name and apply an antigraffiti coating.
Now, Fleet and fellow artist E.J. Negre are in a race against time to remove the varnish, cover the spray-paint, retouch the graphics and put the antigraffiti coating on the trailer — all before a scheduled event Saturday morning.
“We’ll have to now work day and night to be done,” Fleet said.
He is determined to have the trailer’s exterior fixed by Saturday as he’s committed to have the mobile charity, which provides free guitars and lessons to kids in need, operating on Stephen Avenue all weekend.
“This is a step back but we’re not going to be defeated,” Fleet said. “We’re going to clean it up and be ready for Saturday morning somehow.”
The vandalism comes as the charity is fundraising for $35,000, and Fleet said donations of funds or volunteer hours would help the organization.
“If you’re a budding artist out there and you know how to do some crazy artwork, we could sure use help,” he said.
Negre, who has poured countless hours into the mural over the past three weeks, called the vandalism disappointing.
“I can’t believe people would take time out of their day to do something like this, to vandalize a piece of art,” he said.