Controversial mural destroyed by vandal
A controversial mural in the Black Cat Alley project on the east side was destroyed by a vandal’s spray painting Tuesday.
Adam Stoner’s “Devontay” depicts an African-American man in an orange prison jumpsuit. Since it was unveiled in 2016, it has provoked a range of discussion and some protest. Stoner, who is white, has said he intended the mural as a commentary on high incarceration rates of black and brown people. He hosted a community discussion on the work that year.
The mural cannot be repaired, said Black Cat Alley project director Stacey Williams-Ng. The wall will be repainted within 24 hours, she said.
“That’s the risk of putting art out in public, accessible and free. No doors to lock in front of it,” Williams-Ng said.
“We will plan a nice new piece of art for that space (and other walls) to make a big splash in 2018. Still very sad about its destruction.”
“For many, this mural was a painful reminder and as such, was a trigger. But it was also an educational piece, and for that reason alone, it was an opportunity for dialogue,” Williams-Ng wrote in a Facebook post. “Sadly, that opportunity has now been destroyed, and we will all have to find other ways to fight this injustice and to keep the discussion going.”
Black Cat Alley is an installation of murals, many by local artists, in the alley between E. Kenilworth Place and E. Ivanhoe Place. It opened in 2016, with a new batch of murals added this year.