Flute mural painted black -- like bummer man!

Maybe my favorite public mural in Chapel Hill-Carrboro was on the side of the Franklin Street building  that houses Andrea Reusing's expanding Lantern Restaurant. You probably know it well:

Not any more as someone painted over the mural with black paint.

The News & Observer had a big article about it, lamenting the loss and noting artist Michael Brown's disappointment. Local officials like my friend Jeff York, public art director for the city, were dismayed. As I am.

But I can't say I approve of the innuendo from the article that Andrea Reusing had something to do with it. Here's the opening line of the article:

The artist is sick about it. The town is upset about it. And the restaurant owner isn’t talking about it.

Later we learn that Andrea hadn't returned calls. Excuse me but she's pretty friggin' busy these days, being a James Beard finalist and running a famous restaurant. Instead of sensationalism, the article should have stated facts without the snide insinuations based on basically nothing.

And if it turns out that Andrea and the restaurant had something to do with it, I'll be pissed, even though it's the owner's legal right. At this point though there is no reason to make unsubstantiated accusations about someone who has a been a valued member of the community and a wonderful chef for the last decade or so.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/03/21/2766542/franklin-street-girl-with-flute.html#storylink=cpy