Community anger as beloved ‘We Run As One’ artwork is painted over
The disappearance of a beloved mural in Sydney’s inner west has sparked outrage among locals after it was painted over and replaced with a white wall.
Rozelle mural We Run As One It was inspired by Arran Keith, then eight years old and suffering from cerebral palsy, completing a fun run with friends in 2018.
The work was commissioned by the Inner West Council in 2023. It depicted runners along two walls five meters wide and three meters high, joined at a 140-degree angle.
Locals have demanded answers on social media about how “this beautiful mural” at the busy intersection of Darling Street and Victoria Road was painted.
“A beautiful work of art was destroyed in one day. Society wants to know whether this was approved or not,” one of them said.
Another said: “There may be a contractual reason, but it seems a shame that the peninsula is such a great addition to street art with an inspiring local story.”
Those who rented the building said: reporter The mural Wednesday had been painted about a week earlier, but its removal had nothing to do with it.
Building manager Harold Dakin said the “mural/advertisement” belonged to the previous tenant, Running Science, which was liquidated.
“They no longer have the lease on the building and therefore their mural/advertising has been removed accordingly,” he said.
“With all due respect, this is a special building.”
“There will be no graffiti or posters from now on,” Dakin said.
A spokesman for Inner West Council admitted they had little power to prevent the mural being removed.
Arran said he was “humbled” when he first saw the mural in 2023. For her, it was a reflection of how close-knit and supportive her community was, and a reminder that her disability was “secondary.”
“It was nice that someone thought so much about me to paint this, and it brought back all the memories of how much this community has helped me and how much I mean to them,” the 16-year-old said. reporter.
Arran, who currently runs several times a week and dreams of running marathons around the world, said he did not expect such a strong response to its removal.
“At first when I saw it I didn’t think much of it [had been removed] … Then when I thought about it more, it was very humbling for me in terms of what it meant to people to be angry.”
Arran’s mother Karen said the memory of the 2018 fun run still moves her.
“Last time he showed up without his mother, but the whole crowd was there and cheering him on. It was just amazing,” he said.
“The saddest thing about the mural… it wasn’t just about Arran, it was about all the other kids being able to run with him, him being able to run with his friends.”
‘It was nice that someone thought so much about me to paint this, and it kind of brought back all the memories of how much this community has helped me and how much I mean to them.’
Arran Keith
Former tenant Jonathan Fletcher of Running Science said the mural was not an advertisement and that the community was robbed by its disappearance.
“This is a total shocker,” he said.
Fletcher hoped it could be repainted bigger and better elsewhere.
Rozelle native Gav Mork, who was featured in the mural with his children Arran, said he could not understand why the mural was painted over.
“My daughter came home and said, ‘my face flew off the wall.’ She was disappointed, too, because it was painted on without any warning,” he said.
“It’s now a white wall that will most likely be tagged and graffitied.
“[Arran] He is a hero of the community and should be celebrated.”
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said the council was not informed that the property owner would paint over the mural and “we’re sorry they did that.”
“Arran Keith is a former Inner West Young Citizen of the Year and a much loved and respected member of the Rozelle community,” he said.
“His unique spirit, determination and joy are reflected in this beautiful mural that has become an essential part of the Rozelle streetscape.”
Scott Marsh, the artist who painted the mural, said he knew nothing about its removal but noted a disturbing trend.
“Public art is being removed to make room for advertising,” he said.
“They paint the mural, leave it for a while (until the controversy is over), then suddenly a billboard appears in its place.
“Hopefully that’s not the case in this example, but that would be exactly the kind of site they would target.”
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Jack Gramenz is a breaking news reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
Emily Kaine is a national news blogger for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
