UPDATE: Cork ‘N Bottle has reached out to BLDG and the public to apologize for the removal of The London Police mural made possible by BLDG and Mike Amann, who passed away Sunday.

Cork ‘N Bottle’s Tim Hue met with BLDG owners to apologize for the unfortunate timing of the mural removal. The company says it will donate $1,000 to the American Cancer Society in Mike Amann’s name and work to bring The London Police back to Covington to create a new mural. Both the gallery and Cork ‘N Bottle shared the news on social media.

From BLDG’s Facebook page:

“Excellent update on the Cork-N-Bottle and The London Police - Official mural situation:

We just had an excellent meeting with Tim Hue from Cork N Bottle issuing a formal apology along with a gracious $1,000 donation to the American Cancer Society on behalf of Mike Amann.

We fully accept this apology along with Tim's eagerness to correct the situation. We will be working with Tim and Cork N Bottle on replacing the mural in a timely fashion.

Also, we would like to state that the unfortunate timing of the event was in no way intended to be malicious or insensitive in any way.

Thank you Cork N Bottle for doing the right thing for the City of Covington and our community.”

Cork ‘N Bottle also reached out to fans on their page:

“We understand and sincerely regret the hurt that the removal of the art mural has caused our community. We acted out of a concern of a Maker’s Mark copyright violation – which we feared might affect our relationship with a key supplier. We certainly had no intention of offending The London Police - Official, BLDG or the community who had come to appreciate and enjoy the mural. We have been a part of this community for 50 years and as always, wish to work in the best interest for our community's development and growth. We regret the loss of this piece of art, and thank you for your comments and your enthusiasm for Covington. We too share your passion for our neighborhood and love being a part of this community. In furtherance of our sincere apologies, Cork 'N Bottle has made a donation in the name and memory of Michael T. Amann to The American Cancer Society. We invite others to join us.”

ORIGINAL POST: 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12

The London Police mural on the side of Covington’s Cork ‘N Bottle has been removed by the liquor store.

British street artists TLP came to Greater Cincinnati this August as part of a collaboration with Covington’s BLDG. The London Police created one large mural and several smaller graffiti works across Covington during their two-week stay. Cork ‘N Bottle owners, according to BLDG, agreed to keep one of the works on the side of their building for at least one year. The mural was removed Monday.



From BLDG’s Facebook Page:

“Huge loss in Covington today. Cork 'N Bottle decided to paint over their The London Police - Official mural today. Let us state that the agreement of the mural being painted on the building was that the painting would be up for at least a year after completion. From this point forward, we will surely only shop at The Party Source for all our spirits!”



This decision comes just a day after BLDG owner Mike Amann passed away Sunday after a battle with stage four neuroendocrine cancer.

Friends of Amann and fans of the artwork reached out to Cork ‘N Bottle on Facebook for an explanation. The liquor store posted the following statement this morning.

“The London Police mural was removed from our building at 501 Crescent Ave. yesterday. The reasons for this are that the contract to have it painted was unauthorized and the image was an infringement on the Maker’s Mark trademarked bottle image. Please look for new art coming this spring as a new mural is being properly contracted.”

This blog will be updated when more information becomes available.