Community uses dozens of murals to fight graffiti along Lake St.
MINNEAPOLIS -- Several business owners along a popular corridor in South Minneapolis found a way to discourage people defacing their properties. Massive murals are now covering the sides of dozens of Lake Street businesses, and so far, it's been successful in deterring tagging.
"There have been probably 30 or so new murals that have been painted on buildings just in the last 2 years," said Allison Sharkey, the Executive Director of the Lake Street Council.
Sharkey says they've used funding to support local artists to paint murals on businesses.
"That funding will go to help support the artist, their time, and their materials, and often the business or property owner will contribute as well," said Sharkey.
One of those funded murals was painted on the side of La Mexicana Supermercado on Lake St. & Bloomington Ave. The owner, Maria Gutierrez, says since the mural was painted, she's seen a decline in vandalism.
"There's not much graffiti in our streets," said Gutierrez, who has had her business on Lake Street for 24 years.
Gutierrez says the mural is not only beautiful, but allows her to share her heritage.
"I like that the mural represents our culture, because it's something native to Latin America, and because it's a new beginning here on Lake Street after the riots," said Gutierrez.
She said the mural depicts her ancestors and the struggle they made to come to the United States.
Gutierrez's neighbor along Lake Street doesn't have a mural and still deals with graffiti.
"I have to repaint every single time there's any type of graffiti," said Najib Jigrey, who owns the JigJiga Mall, "I say three, four times a year that I have to redo, at least, this front wall."
Seeing how successful his neighbors' murals have been, Jigrey wants to get one as well.
"Now that I know how much of a deterrent it actually is, I definitely want a mural, I just have to figure out an idea and what to incorporate in it," said Jigrey.
The City of Minneapolis gives a seven-day grace period to remove the graffiti, but if business owners don't, they could be fined, which has been even more motivation for Jigrey to want to get a mural.
Click here to learn more about the public art on Lake Street.