Baltimore launched a new graffiti clean-up initiative along the Jones Falls Expressway and other areas in the past couple of weeks.In January, WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates exposed the extent of the city’s graffiti problem and the growing concern that it’s having a negative impact on property values, tourism and public safety.Mayor Brandon Scott adopted one of the recommendations brought forth in WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates’ previous reporting: replace graffiti with murals.The change marks the dawn of a new initiative that is more than just a quick beautification effort. It’s a commitment. The first project, Art After Dark, involves the JFX.The mural of an oriole and raven soaring together replaced graffiti all over a jersey wall on Interstate 83.”I love seeing stuff like this on the street. It brings me so much joy having color on more walls,” said Jenn Wait, a muralist.Wait is the paid artist who said her hard work is a labor of love.”Physically, it’s pretty demanding. They gave us a two-day deadline, so it was 12-15 hours (for) those two days. Holding (my) hands up, spraying… It’s a lot of bending down. There’s a lot of movement to get those fades with spray paint,” Wait said.Wait is one of five chosen out of 30 candidates who responded to a call for artists from the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment. She and four others each created a Baltimore-themed work of art on the JFX.”I asked the mayor about this project, and he said he wanted the theme to be Baltimore,” said Linzy Jackson, director of MOACE.The office, recognizing graffiti as a form of art, is treating graffiti cleanup in a new way. The city now has a 42-member graffiti solutions team.Members include police, fire, transportation, general services and public works departments, along with different types of artists.”The overall goal is to figure out ways to address the graffiti, but also to make sure the artist has a seat at the table,” Jackson said.City officials said graffiti exploded in the city during COVID. Nothing was sacred and nothing was off limits: once seemingly isolated or vacant buildings and unkempt public spaces. The written urban dialogue covered commercial properties and even homes.Graffiti artists said status is attached to work that is widely seen. Artists told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates that graffiti is a source of excitement and action involving an element of risk. Some are even rappelling off rooftops to increase visibility.”Ingenuity, and who brings ingenuity to their game gets noticed,” said Adam Stab, an artist. “Who brings the daring? Who brings the risk?”Philadelphia embraced replacing graffiti with murals several years ago — that’s where consultant Tonya Miller-Hall got the idea.She led a Baltimore graffiti task force to Philadelphia in search of solutions.One of the recommendations was to pair the graffiti artists with muralists and pay them.”The thought was, how do we design a program to support city agencies that are charged with removing unsanctioned work? By pairing them with mural artists, street artists and taggers to come up with a solution to put more sanctioned work on blank walls,” Miller-Hall said.The city has a six-person unit that removes graffiti from city-owned property and public rights of way, but the new mural initiative will expand to include private property.”You could reach out to us and we could partner you with the artist to actually make it happen. And even down to the point of picking a curator or someone that can handle the operations and logistics, because there is a lot that goes into it,” Jackson said.However, artists warn graffiti is not going away — nor will it be completely replaced by murals.Perhaps murals and graffiti can mutually exist. Murals are left untouched by graffiti for the most part, WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates observed. Artists said there is a secret code of mutual respect to leave each other’s work alone.The mural project does not have a dedicated funding source. Money for the Art After Dark JFX murals project came from the MOACE.Other city-sanctioned murals have been paid for by the Artscape budget.City officials said other potential funding sources include the Department of Public Works.

BALTIMORE —

Baltimore launched a new graffiti clean-up initiative along the Jones Falls Expressway and other areas in the past couple of weeks.

In January, WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates exposed the extent of the city’s graffiti problem and the growing concern that it’s having a negative impact on property values, tourism and public safety.

Mayor Brandon Scott adopted one of the recommendations brought forth in WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates’ previous reporting: replace graffiti with murals.

The change marks the dawn of a new initiative that is more than just a quick beautification effort. It’s a commitment. The first project, Art After Dark, involves the JFX.

The mural of an oriole and raven soaring together replaced graffiti all over a jersey wall on Interstate 83.

“I love seeing stuff like this on the street. It brings me so much joy having color on more walls,” said Jenn Wait, a muralist.

Wait is the paid artist who said her hard work is a labor of love.

“Physically, it’s pretty demanding. They gave us a two-day deadline, so it was 12-15 hours (for) those two days. Holding (my) hands up, spraying… It’s a lot of bending down. There’s a lot of movement to get those fades with spray paint,” Wait said.

Wait is one of five chosen out of 30 candidates who responded to a call for artists from the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment. She and four others each created a Baltimore-themed work of art on the JFX.

“I asked the mayor about this project, and he said he wanted the theme to be Baltimore,” said Linzy Jackson, director of MOACE.

The office, recognizing graffiti as a form of art, is treating graffiti cleanup in a new way. The city now has a 42-member graffiti solutions team.

Members include police, fire, transportation, general services and public works departments, along with different types of artists.

“The overall goal is to figure out ways to address the graffiti, but also to make sure the artist has a seat at the table,” Jackson said.

City officials said graffiti exploded in the city during COVID. Nothing was sacred and nothing was off limits: once seemingly isolated or vacant buildings and unkempt public spaces. The written urban dialogue covered commercial properties and even homes.

Graffiti artists said status is attached to work that is widely seen. Artists told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates that graffiti is a source of excitement and action involving an element of risk. Some are even rappelling off rooftops to increase visibility.

“Ingenuity, and who brings ingenuity to their game gets noticed,” said Adam Stab, an artist. “Who brings the daring? Who brings the risk?”

Philadelphia embraced replacing graffiti with murals several years ago — that’s where consultant Tonya Miller-Hall got the idea.

She led a Baltimore graffiti task force to Philadelphia in search of solutions.

One of the recommendations was to pair the graffiti artists with muralists and pay them.

“The thought was, how do we design a program to support city agencies that are charged with removing unsanctioned work? By pairing them with mural artists, street artists and taggers to come up with a solution to put more sanctioned work on blank walls,” Miller-Hall said.

The city has a six-person unit that removes graffiti from city-owned property and public rights of way, but the new mural initiative will expand to include private property.

“You could reach out to us and we could partner you with the artist to actually make it happen. And even down to the point of picking a curator or someone that can handle the operations and logistics, because there is a lot that goes into it,” Jackson said.

However, artists warn graffiti is not going away — nor will it be completely replaced by murals.

Perhaps murals and graffiti can mutually exist. Murals are left untouched by graffiti for the most part, WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates observed. Artists said there is a secret code of mutual respect to leave each other’s work alone.

The mural project does not have a dedicated funding source. Money for the Art After Dark JFX murals project came from the MOACE.

Other city-sanctioned murals have been paid for by the Artscape budget.

City officials said other potential funding sources include the Department of Public Works.