Antioch Graffiti or Self Proclaimed Youth Mural?

The Antioch city council voted to fund the Antioch Graffiti Abatement program over a month ago. There definitely seems to be an improvement already, even in only a month. The city funded the program with a $5,000 grant, but urged citizens to take action themselves.

At the same meeting a suggestion was made to create a mural program for channelling existing graffiti artist’s talent. Although, such a program hasn’t ‘officially’ taken place, perhaps the above picture is a ’self proclaimed mural project’. The Grove writers think so; otherwise why hasn’t the city removed the art? The objection that the graffiti, on Antioch’s Hill crest exit train, isn’t visible is mute. The large portraits cover entire box cars and are very visible from the highway 4 bypass.

The graffiti art was obviously created by someone who has lots of time and talent. Perhaps, the city is slow in removing this type of graffiti because they actually consider it art. It’s definitely not as destructive to property values as other graffiti near homes (i.e. on telephone utility boxes). One view point is that the city is actually encouraging this behavior because they have left the decommissioned train sitting on the tracks. Recycling the train and tracks would definitely solve the graffiti problem. However, turning the thing into a neighborhood youth mural would definitely show that the city is supporting an organized arts program.