

They made diligent efforts to keep neighbors from trying to remove the piece, and even hung a sign next to the Banksy stencil, “Please help us preserve this piece of art! It’s very hard to get and destroying it means the lost for everybody!”Īnd it’s more than just your civilian San Franciscans who are recognizing the likability of street art – the San Francisco Art Fund has recently commissioned Blek le Rat to do a stenciled art piece on the wall of Cafe Divis (Oak & Divisadero), and another one at Market and Gough. There was some controversy as to whether or not the piece was authentic (part of the point of creating it), but even the owners of the shop that got vandalized realized the possible artistic merit of the graffiti sprayed against their wall (another point of creating it).

Last year, a Banksy piece showed up on a wall in Chinatown.

But letting graffiti stand on a wall for over a year is clearly saying something. Normally, non-commissioned graffiti (also referred to as “vandalism”) is monitored by the city, and cleaned reasonably swiftly. The clout that Banky’s street art carries in San Francisco is notable. You may have seen the Banksy piece donning a rooftop wall in North Beach at Columbus and Broadway, but if you haven’t, I suspect you’ll still have some time – it’s been there for about a year so far. "If at first you don't succeed - call an airstrike." (Southeast corner of Columbus & Broadway).
