Artist Asa Kennedy and Reno community members gathered Saturday to cover up Kennedy’s mural that had adorned two exterior walls of the National Bowling Stadium in downtown Reno.
The artwork was ordered removed by the City of Reno.
As the mural was covered in beige paint, Reno locals voiced their dismay at it being destroyed. Located across from the RTC Fourth Street Station, the mural received a lot of foot traffic over its eight-month life span and many riders were disappointed to see the art work removed, especially by order of the City of Reno.
I spoke briefly with Kennedy who created the piece over three days in October 2017. While he was saddened to have to destroy the work, he mentioned that it was nice to know that the mural was well-liked and the community had valued his work. Kennedy explained that as a mural artist you often do not get to know if your artwork has contributed to the community where it’s located.
A personal observation of the surrounding area showed human feces and urine as well as graffiti on almost all of the walls surrounding Kennedy’s work, but after eight months the mural that had to be painted over was still in beautiful condition.
