City pays for graffiti

While the city said it will no longer remove graffiti from alleys or waste containers, it is spending more than $14,000 to train people ages 13 to 21 in what instructor Rocky Martinez calls "how to make artwork using a spray can."

The city also recently allowed Martinez to use a large wall on the back side of the Tucson Water building for a graffiti competition, angering some residents in the adjacent El Presidio Neighborhood, who want the brightly-colored wall covered over.

Nearby resident Tom Pashos called the wall art "really trashy — gang stuff, subway graffiti, boxcar graffiti."

Although the graffiti competition was supposed to get approval from the neighbors and several city departments before going ahead, that didn't happen. And no city department will admit giving final authorization for the graffiti.

City officials said the graffiti art classes are offered to encourage youths not to tag illegally, and the $14,000 project uses a dedicated wall where the youths do all their spray painting.

Councilwoman Regina Romero gave an additional $8,000 from her office's $40,000 youth fund to the graffiti class. She said the class is one of the only Parks and Recreation classes that gets young people interested.

She noted several times during an interview that it was a group of young people she assembled to divide up the youth funds who decided to fund the graffiti art program.

"Obviously their peers think it's a good idea," Romero said. "Who are we as adults to judge what the youth are interested in. We're reaching kids that wouldn't otherwise take an art class."

Romero said her grant had nothing to do with the graffiti competition Martinez staged in December. However, she noted the graffiti class is similar in scope to Martinez's December event called Winta Fresh.

Martinez, who calls himself Cyfi, said it was the third year he has put on the event. But it's the first time he has used city property. He said he got city approval for the event, which required him to even get his own insurance. He said the event was a learning process.

But he said it's only the location of his latest mural in El Presidio Neighborhood that is causing problems.

"It's a controversial issue because it's in such a conservative neighborhood," Martinez said. "It was a completely legal event that brought people together."

About three dozen graffiti artists spray-painted 4-by-8-foot sections of the wall, which runs much of the block between North Granada and Main avenues just south of West Paseo Redondo.

The graffiti class

Martinez, who is a city contractor, has taught a graffiti art class through the Parks and Recreation Department since 2001. The city was unable to provide the cost of the aerosol art class, saying it is part of a larger program of classes called "Arts in Reality," which costs about $20,000.

The $8,000 from Romero's office paid for three 10-week class sessions where youths would research the history and culture of Tucson and then develop a mural concept based on it. The students would then paint a mural on a wall provided by the Art Gallery near North Stone Avenue and Speedway.

The city also put more than $6,000 worth of spray paint, instructor salaries and rent toward the project.

Romero said the classes provide an opportunity for youths who wouldn't normally be taking art classes. In addition, she said it provides an outlet for them to practice what they consider art.

When questioned if she considered it "art," Romero said, "I'm not anyone to judge what it is." But, she added, since the youths consider it art, then the graffiti likely is art.

City Parks and Recreation Director Fred Gray said the program does not promote illegal activity because the students only tag the dedicated wall at the Art Gallery.

While Martinez said his class is intended to give youths an outlet so they don't illegally tag, one of his students who helped paint the graffiti mural behind the Tucson Water building said he loved going out "bombing," or illegally spraying graffiti. In a video shot by the Arizona Daily Star of mural wall spray- painting, the 17-year-old named Emok covered his face with a bandanna because he said he didn't want people to recognize him.

He said he loved the rush he got from "bombing" highways and billboards with graffiti.

Romero said she thought some of the youths in Martinez's aerosol spray-painting class participated in the Tucson Water mural, but said she did not know that for sure.

Spray-painting the mural

The Winta Fresh event occurred on Dec. 13, and city departments and neighbors said they were given almost no notice it was occurring.

Martinez said he first called ParkWise, which runs the parking lot north of the water building months ago. Chris Leighton, of ParkWise, said he would agree as long as Tucson Water, Romero's office and the neighborhood agreed. He said he never gave final approval and only learned the event was happening a few days beforehand.

Martinez said he tried contacting Tucson Water, but learned later that he was actually talking to the building maintenance company.

Tucson Water spokesman Mitch Basefsky said there was a "comedy of miscommunication" involving the event, but said he eventually took responsibility for notifying the neighborhood, Romero's office and the police. He said he told the police not to respond to complaints about graffiti at the site.

Rick Luyties, president of El Presidio Neighborhood Association, said he was contacted a few days before the event, but said the association had no time to meet to consider approval.

He said the association will meet this week because residents have raised concerns about the graffiti.

One of those residents is Stephanie Isaacson, a Tucson Water employee who lives in the Redondo Towers, across the street.

"It is a monstrosity," Isaacson said. "It's just a disgrace."

Isaacson said she was appalled that city money and property go toward graffiti art.

One neighbor, the Tucson Museum of Art, said it liked the work but was upset about the lack of notification. Executive Director Robert Knight called the graffiti art "high-quality work."

The city now says it will paint over the wall in about three months. Tucson Water said ParkWise will pay because it gave the original approval. ParkWise agreed it will pay, but only because it regularly has to cover graffiti on that wall, not because it approved the competition.

Romero said Martinez and his students want their art to be accepted. She said she wants Martinez to meet with the neighborhood association to explain the graffiti mural. "No city money was used for this," Romero said. "I don't think he went through the proper protocols. But I don't think he committed a crime."