In an expression of public ire that undoubtedly marred more than just the physical artwork, the new Ocean Beach mural was vandalized this weekend in what seems to be a misguided form of protest against the permanent closure of the Great Highway. Artist Emily Fromm's work, which has spanned six weeks of creation and aimed to pay homage to San Francisco’s western history, was defaced mere hours after the road officially closed to vehicular traffic.
Emily Fromm herself took to social media to relay the disheartening news, and not without a call for volunteers to aid in the restoration of the 60-foot mural located near Judah Street. "Sometime between my departure from the site yesterday evening and this morning, the mural was thoroughly tagged," Fromm stated, detailing that the damage shows no sign of artistic or activist intention but rather an intent to vandalize.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Friends of Ocean Beach Park announced the vandalism shortly after the decision to convert the contentious 2-mile stretch of the Upper Great Highway into a park space. The act was quickly met with denouncements from various community leaders and elected officials. Fromm's mural had been intended as a beacon of local pride and unity rather than a canvas for division and disapproval.
"It's painful to see something meant to uplift the community and celebrate our history be treated with disrespect," Fromm lamented, per the San Francisco Chronicle, emphasizing the fragile nature of public art and its greater purpose of enhancing the communal spirit, according to a statement she provided. Daniel Montes, speaking for the city's Recreation and Park Department, has confirmed that an official investigation is underway in collaboration with the San Francisco police to look into the vandalism and Fromm's reports of verbal harassment by those resisting the park's creation, incidents that illustrate the suspect motivations behind the destructive act and the unfortunate disregard for the mural's cultural contribution.
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