After Patriot Front-linked Vandalism, a Black Artist Searches for Vindication
‘It’s a really painful thing’
The mural remained in place for a little more than a year before Patriot Front allegedly damaged it. In that time, professors used the mural to teach about African American art and the mural was featured in the campus tour given to prospective students. Jones also published a photography book about the mural project.
After the mural was damaged, from Jones’ perspective, the university took it upon themselves to cover up the hate messaging.
The damage occurred in the early morning hours on a weekend, but the hate speech was removed within hours. McGinn pointed to the work of students who responded immediately and worked with each other to cover up the racist messaging.
Jones was contacted by a university official the following afternoon. He immediately went to check on his work and found television crews, police and large blotches of white paint covering sections of the mural.
“We thought that they were gonna call us to come up there and repair it. But that never happened,” Jones said. “They did not come to our defense. And it’s a really painful thing. We talked about this mural as career-defining for us. They’ve never had any African Americans do something like this on campus. And we did it at the height of COVID in over 100-degree temperatures,” Jones said.
Jones knew the mural was never meant to be permanent, but he wanted university officials to defend his project and stand behind the Black artists they commissioned. When university officials reached out again to Jones, it was weeks after the mural was damaged. According to Jones, it was clear the university had already moved on from the mural.
“Their position was that their students weren’t really exposed to anything, that the university was helping in the investigation, and the mural was already covered up,” Jones said.
Following the damage to the mural, the Association of Black Students, Students for Black and Palestinian Liberation and the Black Senior Alliance published a letter to the university that called for greater transparency about the vandalism investigation and for the artists to be paid to restore the mural.
Jones pushed to speak to the chancellor about a permanent exhibit, but he never heard back.
After about a month of collecting feedback on how to move forward, the Center of Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) on campus reportedly worked with students to repaint the white blotches on the mural with something more visually appealing. For one panel, staff and students used black paint as a background color and then used an assortment of colors to leave their handprints.
The solution to make the space more visually appealing before it was returned to student groups was reportedly part of a larger plan, which included the possibility of housing some type of permanent art installation produced by local Black artists. This larger plan appears to be moving through the university bureaucracy.
“The CDI is in the process of installing images of the mural by photographer Nick Coulter, who documented the mural’s creation,” McGinn said.
Finding vindication
“It’s the illusion of inclusion,” Jones said, referring to his experience as a Black artist in St. Louis. “I’m the box they check. It doesn’t just happen at the [Washington] university.”
A survey the Mellon Foundation conducted on the ethnic and gender diversity of art museum leadership found that as of 2018, only 4% of curators were Black. Elite universities like Washington University are also overwhelmingly white, particularly among faculty and administrators. Decisionmakers on campus also have to wade through a variety of stakeholders, including foundations, lawmakers and alumni, in addition to students. In this environment, the convoluted process can create unintended barriers for Black artists.
The decision to not restore the mural was partly guided by financial concerns. The university estimated it would cost around $30,000, according to McGinn. In addition, the mural space was slated to go back to its original purpose after spring 2022 as a space for student groups.
Washington University hosted a book signing for Jones and his team in October 2022. The book – The Never-Ending Story by De’Joneiro Jones and Nicholas Coulter – is a work of photography that documents the creation of the mural. According to Jones, the university purchased 100 copies and then donated them to people in the community. His book has also been purchased by libraries across the country, including the library at Harvard University.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful for them purchasing 100 books,” Jones said. “But, I mean, they got a whole museum on campus and one nearby. Some program could have come out of all this.”
Shortly after Patriot Front members were charged with destroying the mural, the Ethical Society of St. Louis hosted an exhibit of Jones’ work titled “Tempus Fugit” – which means “time flies” in Latin. The show ran for six weeks and featured Jones’ installations as well as paintings he has produced over the years.
“I’m still looking for that permanent exhibit, but I just keep going. You take things on the chin and just keep going, you know. I got my health,” Jones said with a laugh.
In 2012, after an infection spread to his heart, Jones had to undergo two valve replacements. He was told to avoid stressful situations.
“Thank God for Obamacare,” Jones said. “Without President Obama, I’d be gone.”
Jones continues to produce artwork and mentor Black artists on the business of art. He speaks to them about the importance of contracts and documentation, as well as the personality types in the business and how to avoid becoming tokenized.
“Everywhere I go, I’m talking about [the mural project] and have my book in hand to show people what it was about,” Jones said. “We’re not looking for reconciliation – we want vindication.”
Banner image: Danny McGinnist (from left), De’Jonerio Jones and Roland Burrow (contributed photo)
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