‘Greetings’ no more: Richmond mural disappears
A well-known “Greetings from Richmond”-turned Black Lives Matter mural vanished suddenly early this month. Photo courtesy of Alex J. Dimas.
Molly Manning, Contributing Writer
The “Greetings from Richmond” mural, a longstanding image of Richmond on the side of a flower shop on West Broad Street, was painted over without notice on March 6, according to RVA Mag.
The mural, originally commissioned in 2016 by the owner of Charm School Study Hall ice cream shop and painted by Ross Trimmer and Mickael Broth, was later updated in 2020 to include images of the Black Lives Matter protests in Richmond that year, according to Axios.
No reason has been given for the removal of the mural, and neither the artists or the shop owner were notified, according to Axios.
Alex J. Dimas, a photographer and four-year Richmond resident, was biking when she ran into a group of friends watching the mural being painted over. Dimas, who happened to have her camera on her at the time and took photos of the scene, said she and her friends were shocked.
“We all have seen that mural and how historical it is to the Broad Street community and just the fact that it was being painted over was just really sad to us to witness,” Dimas said. “I just wish that artists could be more elevated, and that they could be seen and continue to have an opportunity to share what is valuable to the city.”
This comes amid the removal of other Black Lives Matter murals, such as the street mural in Washington D.C., which is being painted over following a bill that called for the removal of the mural and renaming of the plaza where it is located, according to NPR.
