There's yet another twist in the fate of a Deep Ellum mural that disappeared from the exterior wall of the Green Room back in June. After the building's owner pledged to pay to have it replaced, they've now rescinded their offer.
Westdale Asset Management officials initially told the artists of a mural depicting U.S. Marines that a decision to paint over it a few months after it was created was an error in judgment.
The company then offered to pay to replace it.
But according to our partners at The Dallas Morning News, they sent another email just two days later on Tuesday saying, "I believe we have found a more effective way to employ that amount of capital."
The company said it wasn't pleased with a promotional part of the mural advertising the artists' websites and Facebook pages. They also were taken aback by the cost the artists' invoiced them to replace the mural at a total of $27,000 -- $6,000 to pay each artist, $1,500 for supplies and $1,500 to rent out the parking lot for two weeks.
Instead, Westdale made the decision to donate $50,000 to a charity that supports veterans.
The artists behind the project, however, said there was a better way.
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"I feel if we all sat down and negotiated this and talked about it, a better solution could’ve been had," said D'Andra Simmons Lock, whose husband took the photograph that inspired the mural.
Simmons Lock defended the cost saying it's a small stipend to pay the artists for their time in the middle of a Texas summer. She and others still lobbying Westdale to change its mind say it's about doing what's right.
"The right thing to do should've been to give the donation to the veterans' organization, and then also in addition to that, pay for the mural to go back up," Simmons Lock said.
Artist Preston Pannek said he hoped to eventually get the chance to repaint the mural at Green Room. But if he doesn't, he hoped to get the chance to paint it elsewhere.
It was one of a 10 part series Pannek and others donated to businesses in Deep Ellum. He said this fight is about preserving a neighborhood he loves.
"You guys want to come here and put in your new buildings? That's fine. You want to bring business? That's fine too. But remember, you came here because of the culture. You came here because of the art and the people. Let's not try to take that part away and turn it into something it's not," Pannek said.
Westdale told The Dallas Morning News it regretted the way the company handled the situation, but that it became the catalyst for a nice donation and a positive outcome.
