The Brief
A pop-up art show at a vacant 99 Cents Only store in Beverly Grove led to widespread “bombing” and graffiti on surrounding businesses.
Local residents expressed fear and frustration, claiming the LAPD declined to intervene during the initial event, calling it a “civil matter.”
Organizers have pledged to hire extra security and pay for professional graffiti removal ahead of the show’s closing party on March 1.
LOS ANGELES – A neighborhood near Los Angeles’s iconic Museum Row is reeling after a street art exhibition drew thousands of visitors but left local storefronts covered in unauthorized “territorial” tagging.
Residents of the Beverly Grove area are now bracing for the event’s final weekend while demanding better protection for their property.
What we know
The event, held in a shuttered 99 Cents Only store at the intersection of Fairfax and Wilshire, was intended to showcase street art but spilled over into vandalism of neighboring businesses.
One resident described the aftermath as the neighborhood being “bombed” by taggers.
In response to the outcry, the event organizers have taken “full responsibility,” deploying cleanup crews to paint over the graffiti and promising an increased security presence for the upcoming closing party.
What they’re saying
Community members voiced significant safety concerns, with one neighbor stating, “Everything was tagged, and I would not even say tagged. It was bombed.”
She added that the vandalism “has nothing to do with art” and is instead about “marking territory.”
Regarding the police response, a local HOA head claimed that when he called 911 during the height of the activity, “LAPD showed up, but… did nothing, saying it was a civil matter.”
What we don’t know
It’s unclear if the LAPD will adjust its deployment strategy for the final event following the community’s criticism of their previous inaction.
The total cost of the property damage to the surrounding area has not been released.
What’s next
All eyes are on the Fairfax and Wilshire intersection this Sunday night. Neighbors are preparing for the large event, hoping that the promised security and the organizers’ efforts will prevent a repeat of the previous weekend’s vandalism.
The Source
This report is based on interviews with local residents and organizers in the Beverly Grove neighborhood. The information regarding the police response and the organizers’ remediation efforts comes directly from first-hand accounts provided by the head of the local HOA and the art show’s management.
