GULFPORT, Fla. — Gulfport is known by many for its artistic and dog-friendly atmosphere. That's true for Julie Betz, who has watched the mural at Stormrunners Tavern take shape while leading personal training sessions across the street.
“It took a long time for it to finish," Betz said. "He was probably working on that for three to four months. We got to see the first panels as we trained and then we’d come back the next week and there would be another panel done until it was completed.”
Many residents, including Betz, noticed the colorful mural had been painted over and started sharing their confusion on social media.
“It’s sad, it’s disheartening," Betz said. "It added so much beauty and it was already iconic and it was new. It became part of Gulfport. Everybody loved it.”
The mural runs along what will eventually be a dog bar at the new Stormrunners Tavern, which is taking over the former Caddy's location and expected to open in the spring. The restaurant owners said the vandalism occurred Tuesday night.
Alex Clawson and a team of five artists are behind the artwork on the mural, which features the faces of some local dogs. Clawson was upset to find out all of their hard work had been painted over. He's now working to bring back its vibrant color and hopes it will become a symbol of resiliency.
“This community typically stands strong with each other," Clawson said. "Even with it being vandalized, you know, the way everybody came together and was just devastated about it.”
Clawson estimated it will cost a couple thousand dollars to pay for materials to fix the damage, but he's determined to get it done.
“As long as everybody’s happy with what they’re seeing, that’s all that matters to me," Clawson said.
Clawson and his team are hoping to have the mural repaired by Monday. The owners of Stormrunners Tavern said they're working with the Gulfport Police Department to figure out who's responsible for the vandalism.