Friends of Pittman Park artwork vandalized Pittsburgh Neighborhood Association

Historical mural vandalized in Atlanta

An Atlanta neighborhood didn't even have time to celebrate it huge art project before it was damaged. Large murals in the Pittsburgh Community were vandalized.

ATLANTA - An Atlanta neighborhood didn’t even have time to celebrate a new $120,000 art project before it was vandalized. The large murals were installed on the walls of the Pittman Park Recreation Center in the Pittsburgh community. 

"It was like somebody kicked me," said Winfrey Young, chair of Friends of Pittman Park.

Winfrey Young is frustrated, hurt, and angry after someone damaged the large murals that were just installed outside the Pittman Park Recreation Center.

"The panels had been slashed," said Young.

Young says this project called "Pittsburgh in History" has been years in the making. It’s taken a lot of research, talking to neighbors about the people, places and events that make Pittsburgh what it is.

"It’s not just random pictures, it tells the story of the Pittsburgh neighborhood," said Johnny Floyd who is President of the Pittsburgh Neighborhood Association.

There is an image of Carrie Steele, who founded an orphanage.

"The very first home for orphan Negro children after the civil war was here in Pittsburgh," said Young.

There is also an image of Sarah Lowrie, who led the drive to create the rec center.

Young was proud of the finished product and called it an artistic celebration of Pittsburgh history.

"I was grinning like a Cheshire cat to see it going up after all this time," said Young.

She was getting ready for the unveiling, complete with a ribbon cutting, when the artwork was vandalized.

A police report was filed. The vandals were caught on security cameras. Young says it was a group of young kids, the oldest around 12, carrying a stick and large knife.

"That hurt me more than the damage because the kids had so little regard for artwork and other people’s property. It was beyond disappointment," said Young.

Young says the cost of the project was $120,000 and they received a grant for it. She estimates the cost to repair the damage to be about $40,000. They’re hoping those in the neighborhood and surrounding community will help with the cost.

To learn how you can help, go to the Friends of Pittman Park Facebook page.