Black Lives Matter mural, other art vandalized at Franklinton art studios

AJ Vanderelli was talking to a woman who hosts a yoga class at her art studio The Vanderelli Room Saturday morning when an artist who painted a mural at the studio came up to her and pointed out that much of the pieces had been spray-painted over.

"As the three of us were talking he noticed the damage," Vanderelli said. "They literally hit every single side (of the building) and art that wasn't on the building."

The night before, murals and other art pieces at Franklinton art studios The Vanderelli Room and Chromedge Studio were vandalized, including a Black Lives Matter mural.

According to an Instagram post by the Franklinton Arts District, a "large amount of artwork was damaged," with most of the damage — spray paint over the artwork — being to "Stolen Joy," a Black Lives Matter mural by local artist Katie Golonka memorializing "45 Black and brown Americans whose lives were ended by police."

"We are deeply saddened by the most recent vandalism displayed at The Vanderelli Room," the arts group told The Dispatch in a statement. "The 'Stolen Joy' mural by Katie Golonka ... And other artists whose work was vandalized represent the values of inclusion that we advocate for in the Franklinton Arts District."

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The group added that it would "not let the hate of others silence the message that there is an outbreak of racism in our country."

"The outpouring of support for the Vanderelli Room is a sign that art can impact culture in a positive way," the statement read. "We will continue to be a neighborhood that stands for inclusion, equity, and diversity that is on the forefront of the values of the City of Columbus.”

According to Vanderelli, this was the second time the "Stolen Joy" mural specifically has been vandalized since it went up in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd, with Floyd's face being crossed out in spray paint the first time.

'If the hate groups are hating, that means we're doing it right'

Vanderelli said the people who vandalized the building had spray-painted stencils naming the Patriot Front as the perpetrators of the damage. The Southern Poverty Law Center identifies and officially designates the group as a "white nationalist hate group."

She said that the studio did not have its cameras connected at the time, but a hair salon across the street had recorded two people at the side of the building overnight.

"People are terrible, but a lot of people are really amazing," Vanderelli said. "If the hate groups are hating, that means we're doing it right."

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Since the Franklinton Arts District posted about the damage on social media, community members and supporters have not only reshared the post but have also raised thousands of dollars for repairs, which Vanderelli said "brought her to the ground crying."

"It's a lot of work to have the space, and to know that what I've been doing and what we've been doing has made such an impact on the community ... helps me realize what we're doing is right and make sense," she said.

Vanderelli said artists whose works had been vandalized had already begun to fix the artwork starting Saturday, with others returning in the coming days.

"There's so much love (in Columbus)," Vanderelli said. "We win because we're able to fix it. These guys stew over it for months and months and months ... we're just like, 'Hey, no problem, we'll fix it.'"

@leem386

mylee@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Franklinton Black Lives Matter mural, other art vandalized