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Nearly-New Mural Defaced At The Music Box Theater

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) --The Music Box Theater's nearly-new mural is no more -- defaced beyond repair by someone armed with spray paint.

Artist George Booker told WBBM he was out of town Saturday night when the management of the Music Box texted him with the bad news.

Booker said the mural was clear-coat varnished to guard against vandals, but said the acrylic paint atop a stucco wall proved to be impossible to repair.

When Booker completed the mural three months ago, Music Box management called it the "perfect complement" to the 88-year-old theater.

"Congrats, now neither of us have a thing that can be looked at," Booker said in comments directed to the tagger.

Artist and management showed both anger and a sense of humor in a statement. Booker said that he hopes the tagger's next project is the back of a billboard.

"I'm sure it will stay up longer," he said. "Maybe fall off the building while you're at it."

Theater management was tongue-in-cheek also.

"We're sorry to see it go, but excited for what will come next," they said. "And we hope the person who tagged it stepped in dog poo on the way home."

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