Memphis' historic Beale Street found itself at the center of an act of vandalism when the Old Daisy Theater's walls were spray-painted by unidentified individuals. The theater's owner, Lucille Catron, witnessed the damage that included the words "Zarf Mane" scrawled in bright green paint on the building's facade. This property, with a history emanating from the early 1900s, becomes more than just a structure; it speaks to a cultural heritage that Catron has stewarded with both love and preventive investment—a sentiment echoed in her reaction to the costly defacement.
Surveillance footage, as reported by Fox13 Memphis, captured two men lingering near the property, appearing to survey their surroundings, even feigning casual behavior like taking selfies. Their subsequent actions, however, belied this calm facade as they proceeded to pull out spray paint and mar the building's exterior. Catron, perturbed by the vandalism, expressed her disbelief to Action News 5, saying, "Just cavalier, just pull paint out of your back pocket and just spray paint a building,” she says. “It just boggles the mind to me."
The magnitude of this act expands beyond the physical damage, as the financial strain mounts for Catron who spent $5,000 last year on painting the building. She made it clear, in a statement obtained by WREG News, that this is an expense she currently cannot afford, yet the vandals' lack of regard for the site's historical significance is what truly pains her. "Beale Street and this historic Daisy is my love, and for someone to be so careless to come here and to think nothing of defacing the property, it boggles the mind," Catron told WREG News.
Visitors to Beale Street, such as Alicia Ruenger who visited from Wisconsin, underscored the meaning of such locations, asserting that there is a place for art but historic buildings are not it. Catron echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the deep ties the community has with landmarks like the Historical Daisy Interpretive Center and Entertainment Hall. She expressed a wish, in a statement to WREG News, not for retribution but restitution: "I wish no one harm, but if I can make sure they clean my building up and they paint my building. They are going to work it off."
The Memphis Police Department is actively seeking information that would lead to the identification of the perpetrators. In a bid to uphold justice and preserve the integrity of historical sites, they have urged those with any knowledge of the incident to reach out to Crimestoppers at (901)528-CASH.
