Chalk drawings at La Jolla park washed away before rain; city says it wasn’t involved

Chalk drawings at Starkey Mini Park on Draper Avenue in La Jolla, created Oct. 31 as part of the latest “ChalkUp” event organized by locals to support the Black Lives Matter movement, were found to have been completely washed away last week, well before the weekend rains.

Some of the drawings had been partially rinsed off and vandalized by an unknown person Nov. 2 and were replaced shortly afterward by a few residents led by Lisa Attinasi, who organized the Oct. 31 ChalkUp that had about 30 participants.

The morning of Nov. 4, all the drawings were gone.

The latest “ChalkUp” event took place Oct. 31 at Starkey Mini Park on Draper Avenue and on the La Jolla Bike Path.

(Elisabeth Frausto)

San Diego city spokesman Tim Graham said that “after consulting with staff, it is my understanding that no city department was involved in removing the chalk drawings.”

City employees had rinsed away chalk drawings created during two other events in July and September after nearby residents complained about them, city spokesman Anthony Santacroce told the La Jolla Light in September.

But Graham said last week that this time, “the city deemed the chalk art community self-expression and left it since the messages were not vulgar and did not contain obscenities or profanity. In addition, since the art was of a temporary nature, the city decided not to remove the art, with the understanding it would be washed away or fade away naturally.”

Attinasi said there would be no further response to the drawings’ removal. “We are moving on and planning [our] next event,” she said. ◆