First Annual Graffiti Awareness Day

Paint becomes “Art” when it is commissioned or purchased. Paint when used to make a statement is nothing more than “Paint”. The real issues at hand is how the paint affects our environment. Graffiti, when it is in line of site from our homes, reduces our property value by as much as 20%. There is an 80% chance customers will not return our places of business because of the Graffiti. Painting over Graffiti with an attempted paint match, actually does as much damage as the original graffiti. The Ghetto Quit Effect comes into play. The Ghetto Quilt Effect is created using the poorly matched colors to hide the graffiti. The fear of gang activity is still felt. We all make our judgments and conclusions based on our gathered knowledge and personal experiences. I think it is fair to say we all have watched the news in fear, as the death toll rises in school altercations. The fear factor of gun wielding, angry youths is a fact in our lives. Graffiti may have been innocently used to rebuke those in power long ago. Today gangs are putting hidden codes in their graffiti, telling what they are selling and where to go to get it. We as a community need to be aware of which gangs are in our communities and where our children are buying their goods. Mind blowing detail, and breathtaking use of color, is still judged by the intent of the “Painter”. Knowledge of the painter and the intent of the work, are what can help determine if it is Art, or Vandalism!