MONTREAL – Chantal Larivière couldn’t believe it when she won a 2009 competition to paint a mural to honour Montreal’s Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough.
But her happiness turned to disappointment last Thursday when her boyfriend noticed that someone had drawn all over her artwork.
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“I was very disappointed when I saw what they had done to my mural,” Larivière told Global News.
“I had posted it on Facebook. The comments and support from a lot of people is touching.”
Larivière said the mural, located on Ontario Est and Nicolet streets near the Olympic Stadium, was a huge source of pride.
The “Pignons à vue” contest was commissioned by organization Y’A Quelqu’Un L’Autre Bord Du Mur (YQQ) to celebrate the borough’s 125th anniversary.
It’s part of a greater artistic project to revitalise the area, which is often known to have a bad reputation.
“I have nothing against other artists who express themselves through graffiti, but why ruin someone else’s art?” she asked.
Though Larivière admits she may not be well-versed in the world of street art, there needs to be some form of mutual respect for other artists.
“I was just so upset,” she said.
rachel.lau@globalnews.ca
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