By Patrick Hedlund
DNAinfo News Editor
EAST VILLAGE — A large mural of President Obama on Avenue C that was suddenly painted over last year has turned into a canvas for graffiti writers, locals complain.
The wall, which stretches for a half-block on the side of cable company RCN's building at the corner of East 6th Street, bore a mural with Obama's face and the words "America Made the Right Choice" for two years before the company decided it was too political and had to be painted over it last November.
RCN officials added that the work was put up without permission by well-known neighborhood street artist Antonio "Chico" Garcia.
But since the company ordered the mural covered over in blue paint, taggers have begun spray-painting scrawls along both the Avenue C and East 6th Street sides of the building.
"It looks like crap, and I don't know why they would take [the old mural] down," said Henry Dickerson, 27, who lives on East 6th Street across from the building. "They should have assumed that this was going to happen. I would rather have Obama up there then what's there now."
Others questioned RCN's motivations for covering up the Obama mural without a plan in place for preventing vandalism.
Lorry Diaz, an 18-year employee of the Santos Variety store located next to the wall, said people used to stop and admire the various murals that previously graced the wall, but now they don't even look up anymore.
"It meant something," Diaz said. "I don't even look at it now. Before we used to look at it because there was something there."
Tony Ontiveros, vice president and general manager of RCN in New York City, said the blank blue wall lasted about four months before succumbing to graffiti.
"We had such a good streak going until about a month ago," Ontiveros said, adding that the company has been waiting until the wamer weather comes to put up another mural at the site.
The company says it plans to work with the Lower Eastside Girls Club to commission a piece using local artists.
Lyn Pentecost, founder of the Lower Eastside Girls Club, said she hasn't spoken with RCN staff about doing a new mural since last year, but noted that the company has been supportive of her organization.
"We have the capacity to really offer some good art on that wall, but we haven't discussed details with [RCN]," she said. "They buy the paint, we'll do the mural."
Pentecost added that she didn't mind seeing the Obama piece go, because "it was time to move on."
"We're ready to do whatever comes next," she said, noting that at least the blank wall gave vandals a free space to paint. "They're probably making the little boys happy."
