Cape floodwall mural may need touch-up after vandalism

For seven years, local artist Craig Thomas was among those who lobbied, raised money and then helped plan Cape Girardeau's floodwall murals.

Then he was one of those who -- for a year -- helped do the work to bring the colorful concepts to life under the direction of Chicago muralist Thomas Melvin.

So when vandals struck one of them in two spots last week with a thick black substance, it only made sense that Thomas be brought in to see what should be done to remove it.

"It's just stupid," Thomas said from along Water Street on Thursday when he got his first look. "I guess it's just human nature. It's easier to tear down than to build up."

After a brief investigation, Thomas decided the substance was likely mud, not paint as has been reported. From a ladder about 20 feet up, Thomas spent a few minutes working on the dark spots, using water and a rag to try to erase them from the image of Mark Twain and the old Normal School.

The thicker parts of the mud came off but left a grainy stain behind. Thomas intends to try using a mild detergent or an abrasive tool. Those may work, but he said he still may have to touch up the mural to restore it fully.

"It is frustrating," Thomas said. "That was one of the pieces I did. Whoever did this, it was a quick way to be noticed as opposed to anything else. It was fast. It was quick."

Thomas was going to return in the next few days to see if the situation had improved, maybe after some rain.

Old Town Cape is responsible for the maintenance of the murals. Executive director Marla Mills said the city Parks and Recreation Department initially took a whack at removing the mud. But after it seemed the mural paint may be coming off, Mills told them to stop working and she contacted Thomas, who was out of town until Thursday.

If some touch-up work is required, Mills said, it will probably be done to coincide with other work that needs to be done to the murals.

A separate 8-foot section of the floodwall was repaired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers near the corner of Independence and Water streets recently as part of an $8 million project to shore up the city's aging flood protection system.

The removed section had a portion of the "Mississippi River Tales" mural on it. Most of the mural remains intact, but a part of it at its southern edge is gone because of the work.

Mills said they are waiting for the corps to give its OK to touch up that mural. Since they've got to do that one, she said, it makes more sense to take care of them both at once.

Mills also expressed aggravation at having to repair the work of vandals at all.

"I always think it's frustrating," she said. "But particularly for the murals. That's a tourist attraction, a part of the community that makes the downtown really interesting."

Such works eats into resources -- the special paint is expensive, she said, and the artist who does the work will have to be compensated. It is too early to provide a cost estimate, Mills said, until they know the full extent of what the work will entail.

"It wastes energy, money and time," Mills said. "Those are resources we could be using on other things."

smoyers@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

Water Street, Cape Girardeau, MO