Kimball Perry

kperry@enquirer.com

A mural Northside residents say reflects the collective neighborhood belief supporting human and social rights was defaced, angering them.

Until the early hours of Saturday morning, Aung San Suu Kyi stared out over Northside, standing vigil in support of human rights in her home country of Myanmar and the eclectic Cincinnati neighborhood.

The mural depicting Suu – covering the west wall of the building at a busy Northside intersection – was defaced with what appears to be white paint. The act has incensed some Northside residents who believe the vandalism was done by a well-known tagger. He has argued with several in the neighborhood who tell him his acts ruin defining areas of Northside.

"It's like a treasure for our neighborhood," Victor Williams, owner of the building holding the mural, said.

The mural essentially is wallpaper placed on the building, but it means so much more to those who see it often.

"This is very iconic," Libby Hunter, who runs a nearby nonprofit organization, said.

"It was important because it was a beautiful piece of art and had social meaning, It embodies the people of Northside ... (who) stand for human rights, they're tough on crime and they're actually involved in improving the community," Williams said.

As Williams spoke, a woman carrying a small child and holding the hand of another, walked past, looked at the mural and asked, "Are you going to be able to get that off? What a jerk."

Williams' building, immediately west of Hoffner Park in the 4000 block of Hamilton Avenue near the intersection of Blue Rock Street, has been home to the mural for four years. In 2010, renowned street artist Shepard Fairey put up what ultimately would become 16 murals in Greater Cincinnati.

"This was one of the remaining large ones left in the city and we were trying to keep it alive as long as we could," Northside community volunteer Tori Houlihan said, staring at the mural.

At least once a year, Williams covers the mural with a clear finish, trying to protect it.

White letters spelling out "Caper Joist" have been painted over the majority of the mural. Adam Curry of Keep Cincinnati Beautiful was trying to take the paint off Saturday afternoon, but it appeared the damage couldn't be repaired.

Neighbors and police believe they know who is responsible – a man who has tagged several Northside buildings and been chastised for it.

"I've called him out," Hunter said. "He's been kind of a blight on the community," Williams added.

The "Caper Joist" tag has been used by that man, Cincinnati Police Officer Shawn Dent said Saturday after viewing the mural damage. He's also suspected of tagging police property, Dent added. No arrest has been made, but the investigation continues.

"I mourn the fact that it ended like this," Williams said.

This was at least the third of Fairey's murals to be defaced or removed. A Covington mural was almost immediately painted over by the building's owner because it depicted a child holding a gun. The building can be seen from a nearby elementary school. A Madisonville mural was vandalized weeks after it was completed.