Calhoun County to Transfer Black Lives Matter Mural Site to City of Battle Creek

The community is coming together after a Black Lives Matter mural was vandalized this week in Battle Creek.  A GoFundMe campaign has raised nearly $5,000.00 as of noon on Wednesday.  Volunteers have been working to remove the white paint that was rolled onto the artwork on Sunday night or Monday morning.

Calhoun County Treasurer Brian Wensauer announced Wednesday that the site of the former Village Inn Apartments, which is now home to a large Black Lives Matter mural, will be transferred to the City of Battle Creek after the Calhoun County Land Bank Authority conducts an environmental assessment of the site. The property was foreclosed on in July and transferred to the Treasurer’s Office.

“I want to ensure these powerful murals will have a lasting impact on the Battle Creek community, which is why I will eventually be transferring the property to the city so it can be properly maintained for future generations to appreciate,” said Calhoun County Treasurer Brian Wensauer.  “I want to thank everyone who rallied together to help restore this important community art installation,” Wensauer said. “More than a dozen artists poured their hearts and souls into their murals and its heartwarming to see the outpouring of support for cleaning them up.”

City Manager Rebecca Fleury thanked Wensauer for his pledge to transfer the property to the city, and for the community’s efforts to help restore the murals.
“We were disheartened that someone chose to deface some of our community’s wonderful murals,” Fleury said. “The overwhelming support from groups throughout Battle Creek show how important these murals — and their messages — are to our community.”

In June, more than a dozen artists collaborated on a large mural bringing attention to the Black Lives Matter movement. The murals extend a full city block along East Dickman Road near Riverside Drive in Battle Creek.  The Village Inn Apartments were destroyed by a fire in the summer of 2018.

rebes