A long-standing Black Lives Matter mural near People’s Park in Bloomington has been removed following a change in property ownership. The new owner, Crimson Investment LLC, is replacing it with a mural honoring Indiana University’s football national championship.
The City emphasized in a press release that the wall is privately owned, so the property owner has control over its use.
A mural titled “You Belong Here” was commissioned for the wall in 2017. It was modified without permission in 2020 to say “Black Lives Matter” during local demonstrations following the killing of George Floyd.
The mural remained for nearly six years.
Nick Blandford, project manager for the College & Community Collaboration Grant, said murals can sometimes last 10 to 20 years, but often are commissioned for only a year or two.
“It sort of preserves the opportunity to allow the piece to sit there if it feels like it makes sense in the context, and, in other cases, to maybe reimagine it if it feels like the space needs something different, or the property owner just wants to refresh or recontextualize things,” Blandford said.
The property was formerly owned by Bicycle Garage Inc., which moved to 1112. S. Morton on the B-Line. According to Monroe County GIS Division, the property is now owned by Crimson Investments LLC.
Blandford said while private property owners are not required to consult the Bloomington Arts Commission before changing murals, the commission often provides guidance to those seeking support, including connecting with artists and best practices for installation.
The new owners of the building did not talk to the commission before painting over the mural, according to Blandford.
“Private business owners can frankly do whatever they want within the city's unified development ordinance,” he said.
Blandford said People’s Park is a space for public discussion and social activism, and the evolution of murals reflects that.
“It's also been a place where there are a lot of social issues that are engaged with,” Blandford said. “Based on how the community has always perceived the space, it's always been a place for dialogue, and always been a space that, you know, has changed and evolved in terms of how people use it and how people interact with it.”