AnonymousBy Diane Graham
Saturday, I took my father to see the amazing and inspiring artwork at this year’s I Madonnari. Wish I hadn’t. And then was immediately thankful that I’d made my first visit with my son on Tuesday, the first day of viewing after the paintings were complete. What a difference just a couple of days make.
On Tuesday, all the paintings were in excellent condition and I took about 50 photos. In contrast, yesterday every painting had been ruined–make that vandalized. Each had evidence of shoe treads all over, and many looked to be purposely defaced. It made me cry.
At first, I jumped to the all-too-common conclusion that teenagers were the culprits, but I’ve changed my mind. In the short time we were at the mission, dozens of tourists were deposited by a tour bus. They commenced to scurry all over the plaza with total disregard for where they were walking, criss-crossing back and forth over the paintings. With cameras held high, they were NOT capturing photos of the art, but rather of each other and the mission building. I was appalled and totally taken aback that a group of adults could be so uniformly oblivious and disrespectful.
Maybe the tour bus driver could have provided some direction and guidelines for grown-up behavior. Maybe the festival sponsors could have posted a few signs asking visitors to walk around the art and not on it. The experience was so saddening, so frustrating, so unbelievable that we had to quickly leave.
Next year, we’ll go early, before a few people ruin the experience for many.
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The iMadonnari art is like sandcastle art. Meant to be ephemeral. Undoubtedly many visitors newly arrived post-art festival didn’t even realize the chalk art was any big deal. I am happy we have The Old Mission here. I am glad visitors enjoy its majesty.
I totally feel for the OP, unfortunately those tourist weren’t there to see chalk drawings, they were there to see a 300 year old Mission so they were oblivious to the art. Sad indeed but that’s the world we live in.
“It made me cry.” Really? I hope I’m not around you if something serious happens.
There’s a thing called respect. Which, seems to be in short supply these days.
The SB Mission is on every tour. Whether its a bus load of people or a scooter or two, they all go to the Mission to gawk at the beautiful remains from the decades of murder and pillaging by the Spanish conquistadors and misguided, pious men. I am positive that none of these visitors learns of the real story of The Mission or knows the truth behind the people, the location or that there is a once-a-year art festival. Personally I like the art after a week or two of time. The decay makes the art look more human.