Art or vandalism? Business owners agree graffiti is unnecessary

From Super Mario to stylistic lettering, the back wall of Rhino’s Youth Center is a place for local graffiti artists to display their artistic visions to the world.

Graffiti brings up a few concerns for local business owners, such as the safety of the artists, the cost of removal and its aesthetic value.

Brad Wilhelm, director of Rhino’s Youth Center, said he feels some graffiti displays spectacular creativity and ability but in many cases still is vandalism.

Since 1996, Rhino’s has provided an outlet for graffiti artists to display their talents in a legal way, Wilhelm said.

“Some of the stuff is amazing work, things I can’t even imagine doing. And it’s all done with a spray can,” Wilhelm said. “But it needs to be done in a respectful manner.”

But not everyone agrees with Wilhelm’s view.

“I know there’s a place for art, but I think people would be singing a different tune if the backside of their building or house had graffiti all over it,” said Jesica Pillar, the general manager of Grazie! Italian Eatery.

The top story of Grazie! has been a hot spot for these high-risk tags, which is a major concern for Pillar. She said she has seen people on the restaurant’s surveillance camera climbing on trash bins to get to the spot.

“Safety is one of our biggest concerns,” Pillar said. “If someone falls off tagging the building, who pays for that? We do.”

Maarten Bout, marketing director of the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, also expressed concern for the liability issues that arise because of the artists’ perilous works.

“Besides tagging the building, people are risking their lives to get to places people can’t usually get to,” Bout said.

JD Boruff, the Park & Facilities operations supervisor of Bloomington Parks and Recreation, said safety is also an issue when it comes to the removal process.

Boruff said some of the chemicals used are caustic, which could cause harm to both skin and eyes. Also, pressure washing can stir up debris that could become harmful.

Boruff said he believes people feel unsafe in areas with high amounts of graffiti.

“People tend to think of what other crimes might be going on,” Boruff said, adding that graffiti makes places look “run-down and unattended.”

Graffiti removal is a time-consuming and expensive process, which leaves privately owned businesses like Grazie! paying out of their pockets every time a tag is removed. Pillar said the average tag removal costs about $600.

For the time being, Bloomington Parks and Recreation reports of new graffiti are very low, Boruff said. The winter weather greatly reduces the amount of graffiti, but as spring and summer roll around, the reports skyrocket, he said.

“On average we have custodians clean graffiti probably two days a week,” Boruff said. “In the summer months, we are out there every day.”

In the end, Bout said he believes that businesses, particularly the Buskirk, influence the community more by their work rather than what is being sprayed on the building.

“I think people feel for us,” Bout said. “I really don’t think it affects us in a business sense.”