Joel Richardson’s city-authorized mural in the Junction is restored after city-authorized destruction

The story has come full circle: commissioned, decommissioned, re-commissioned, restored. After Joel Richardson’s mural was scrubbed from an underpass by Rob Ford’s graffiti Gestapo, the artist has now spray-painted a full replacement, with some alterations. The debacle actually worked out pretty well—Richardson received international exposure (leading to a showcase in New York City), sparked a debate about street art and prompted a plan for a database of city-sanctioned graffiti. While it’s not clear whether or not he was paid a second time, local businesses did help cover $800 in expenses. “I’m thrilled that they gave the space back to me,” Richardson told CBC News—although we hear he tried to preserve the other graffiti on-site, including an unflattering caricature of the mayor. Read the entire story [CBC] »