- The Kamala Harris mural at Railroad Square is now gone after it was vandalized at least twice.
- The mural is now completely covered up with black paint.
- Watch the video to see reaction of the vandalism from people at the art district.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Tallahassee's art district is now short one mural. I'm Kenya Cardonne at Railroad Square where practically nothing is left of the Kamala Harris mural after it was vandalized. Neighbors and businesses at the square say the whole thing has left them shocked.
Underneath the black paint was an homage to female American history at Railroad Square.
The Kamala Harris mural right outside the Flamingos is officially gone as of Friday.
It comes after ABC 27 noticed it was vandalized not once, but twice.
Ben Wentworth, B-Sides Records - "Wow, makes me want to cry, and [makes me] really worried about the future of the Square here."
Some people at the square were heartbroken when they found out.
Wentworth - "It's unbelievable that no one saw them do something like this, or that the cameras haven't caught up to them."
I bumped into one of the Square's managers, but he refused to comment on the situation.
We tried hunting down the artist of the mural and had no luck, but we did get ahold of the artist of the mural just feet away — Michael Crowne.
Michael Crowne, Mural Artist - "I think when you do something like that, you're setting up the wrong message, especially in a time where we need more beautification, more expression."
He tells me that muraling for an artist is like watching a child grow up.
To see a fellow mural get defamed and painted over— hurt.
Crowne - "It's a personal shot. To say that it's disrespectful, you know, you spend not only time you sacrifice and for someone to, you know, blatantly do something without the sense of the time, the professionalism, you know, the application to do something, is expression. I think that they take a personal shot at your character."
Our cameras were rolling as the mural was painted over.
Brooklyn Croy, The Other Side Vintage - "Hopefully the original artist can come back and repaint it, maybe add something to the effect of like, 'we don't condone hate,' like we don't have tolerance for that here."
Crowne says he also hopes the artist can make a comeback from this but even then, a re-do of an artwork is never like the original.
Crowne - "I can always re-do it, but it's never the same as that first time they take that in."
I also did not have any luck with the Railroad Square manager on getting any surveillance video that might have caught the person or people responsible.
At Railroad Square, Kenya Cardonne ABC 27
