GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Another outdoor ArtPrize entry was vandalized on Tuesday night. Several pieces have now been damaged since the competition began.
This time, however, the artist involved is using that damage to further his message.
"I got a text message this morning from the GRAM. They sent me photos and said, you know, here some vandalization has happened," says Chapel of Ghouls, the artist behind "I Want You."
Posters that are part of the installation were ripped and torn off the walls of the Grand Rapids Art Museum. But Chapel of Ghouls wasn't necessarily surprised.
"This is a prime example, exhibit A," he says. "This is what happens when you don't talk about your feelings."
His piece, which uses the famous image of Uncle Sam to encourage people to take care of their mental health, has received mixed feedback since going up.
"It's kind of an honor, in a weird way, because people are being triggered by it," says Chapel of Ghouls. "They're talking about it and it's doing its job."
"I Want You" is now one of several installations vandalized at this year's ArtPrize.
Chapel of Ghouls says he understands that there isn't a perfect solution for preventing vandalism.
"Grand Rapids Art Museum and ArtPrize in general, actually, have been really, really supportive through this whole process of what I'm doing," he says.
Now, he plans to use it to his advantage. He's going to paint a new message for the vandals around the damage.
"If they come back and see it, I'm saying, hey, I'm calling you out," he says. "I see what you've done. Now talk about your feelings. Go see a therapist, man."
The GRAM says it will keep an eye on the installation going forward. 13 ON YOUR SIDE reached out to ArtPrize organizers for comment but have not received one.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.