Thursday, April 3, 2008

A Call To Action: Graffiti Challenge

Okay, folks, we're throwing down the gauntlet to the readers of Uptown Update. Let's call it our April Graffiti Challenge.

We're asking you to keep an eye out when you're walking the dog. When you go out to grab a cup o' joe and a newspaper. When you're running errands. We're asking you to bring your cell phone and call 311 to request Graffiti Blasters come out and erase each and every graffiti tag you see.

Today we called in four requests in an hour. Yesterday we counted six different tags in just a half block on Broadway. The graffiti is everywhere, even on our beautiful historic buildings. The weather's getting warm, so the taggers are stepping up their game. We're asking Updaters to step up their game too.

How much difference can we make, in just one month, in how Uptown looks? How many requests can we call in during April? If you want, post your totals at the end of the month. How much can we accomplish, together, to free our neighborhood from the blight of graffiti?

Psst! Hey, JPUSA, the awning at Friendly Towers has had the same tag on it for years now. How about cleaning it up? You don't want your historic building to look trashy, right?


17 comments:

  1. I will admit that it brightens my day to stumble upon a new piece by Solve, Artillery, Goons or the like... But, see... this is lovely. And these guys are always fun to come across. Gang tags, not so much. The scribbles can definitely go. Though I'd have to say that some of the more complex graffiti is more attractive than the mismatched rectangles the Graffiti Blasters often replace them with. (Even if some people consider that kind of thing a form of art in its own right these days.)

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  2. I only wish we had pretty graffiti in Uptown. Unfortunately, the scribbles on street cleaning signs and the gang crap at Staples are more the norm.

    I reserve the right to not call in the pretty stuff. But like you said, the scribbles can definitely go. Sadly, there's enough of it to keep us all busy.

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  3. I reserve the right not to call in the profound stuff either. My favorite was the "FORGIVE" graffiti that was featured on this blog in January.

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  4. The White Sox rennovated ballfield at Clarendon Park (behind the Landmark Status Orange Cone) has its own graffiti pole these days.

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  5. We must give kudos to the developer of the former Kentucky Fried Chicken at Buena and Broadway.

    That vacant property was tagged badly this week and they had that property repainted - and the surrounding public light poles and the light box across the street -- before I could Photoshop the pictures and post a blog snark.

    Bravo gentlemen. I would have stopped to say "Hi" as you three met in the parking lot today, but that would have blown my cover.

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  6. For those of you who are hesitant to call in graffiti if it's pretty, I bet I can make some pretty graffiti. Could I please spray paint your car or house? I promise I'll do a good job.

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  7. "Pretty graffiti" is such a red herring.

    Really, do we have so little of the gang tags and scrawling here that we even need to debate what stays?

    Concentrate on getting rid of the ugly stuff that cheapens our streets and buildings.

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  8. I just got back from a neighborhood walk and reported graffiti from 1128 W. Wilson (gang tags on the former-unopened Spotted Pig) till Popeye's at the Wilson L. Gang tags galore. It took 3 minutes. Start calling and post in the comments the areas you report.

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  9. I called in one this morning on the tarp outside the Uptown Broadway Building, and another tag on the pole outside Dib on Lawrence.

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  10. MAKE SURE TO GET A TRACKING NUMBER WHEN YOU CALL

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  11. If everyone posts their picture on Flickr.com, you can tag (ha!) the photo with the term "UUGraffiti".

    That way, we can have a nice slide show of everything you find.

    Maybe UU can even post the slide show here.

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  12. The guys over at the "Chicago Uptown Crime Blotter" are needing more volunteers to post the info heard on police scanners on their site. If you are interested, check out the site and get in touch with the webmaster.

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  13. I think we need to have some stronger laws in affect to stop these gang taggers. We have spent a lot of money to move into this area and I think we all are at least happy with the new construction and changes that we have seen over the past few years to update our community.

    It really makes me sick to see the community efforts marred buy stupid tagging.

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  14. The 24-year-old guy with a backpack full of spray paint, who was caught in the act (by observant neighbors) of tagging the ParVenu and other buildings on Sheridan, was found guilty and must pay something like $7500 in costs, as well as community service (I think) and probation. If anyone is clearer on the details, please post. It was brought up at our CAPS meeting.

    I hope the word goes out to the tagging world that Uptown *will* take strong measures if you're caught doing graffiti here.

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  15. Did you know that Uplift teaches a course in graffiti? Go to the CPS website and look up Uplift to see for yourself.

    Yes, your tax dollars help fund this course and your tax dollars also helps to fund cleaning it up.

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  16. To make it easier, here's the link about Uplift and their "school activities"

    http://www.cps.k12.il.us/Schools/hsdirectory/upliftcommunity.shtml

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  17. Keep fighting graffiti! One way to turn around an area is to get the graffiti under control. It requires patience but it is the first step in taking control.

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