PHOTOS COURTESY OF RON ARTIS AND MICHAEL LUCICH Artist Ron Artis spent yesterday repainting a mural at Kailua Intermediate School that was defaced with graffiti last week.

Piece restored

An artist repaints a defaced
school mural in Kailua

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By Rosemarie Bernardo
rbernardo@starbulletin.com

Kailua artist Ron Artis wanted to send a message that vandals won't win.

And he didn't want to wait.

So he spent yesterday repainting a mural that had been defaced with graffiti at Kailua Intermediate School late last week.

"I didn't want this person to have any glory," said the 52-year-old artist of the vandal or vandals who sprayed black paint on the mural and other school buildings.

"As fast as you can paint, I can paint you out ... and I'll do it with a smile."

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Vandals painted symbols on a mural on the wall outside the school's library. The gray areas were painted by maintenance workers last week to hide the graffiti.

Police arrested a 15-year-old Kailua boy Saturday for second-degree criminal property damage investigation. He was being held at the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility.

The boy, classified as a runaway, was arrested originally for first-degree assault investigation in connection with the beating of a 44-year-old homeless man in Kailua.

Police said the victim was sitting in an alleyway at 240 Aulike St. behind the Kailua McDonald's restaurant when the boy sprayed him with a fire extinguisher. The boy then hit the man with a beer bottle, causing cuts to the man's face.

Police said the boy ran away but was caught later. While he was in custody, another boy called and said the suspect was responsible for the school vandalism.

School officials suspect the vandal or vandals hit the campus between 9:45 p.m. Thursday and 6 a.m. Friday. Kailua police estimated the damage at more than $2,000.

The graffiti included a racial slur, sexual drawings and caricatures of marijuana plants and crystal methamphetamine pipes.

"The students were so hurt and scared. I wanted to make sure I got it done before they came back to school Monday morning," Artis said.

Within six hours, Artis restored the entire mural -- spraying over the blotches of gray paint the school's custodial staff used to cover the graffiti.

"We were all just indignant, just very violated that someone would come and do this to our school," said Principal Lorraine Henderson.

The school has had previous instances of graffiti, but Henderson said, "This is the worst."

Soon after the vandalism, music teacher Michael Lucich contacted Artis, seeking his help.

"Ron just took the ball and ran with it," Lucich said.

"He's been a real support to our school."

The mural -- on the school's library wall facing the courtyard -- depicts Artis' image of Windward Oahu beaches.

Kailua artist, Ron Artis

In October 1998, Artis offered to paint the school's original mural at no cost. Artis said he has done more than 760 murals for various businesses, schools and residents on the island. Some of his murals can be seen at Kailua Beach Park, and other public schools such as Kalaheo and Castle High schools.

Artis said he wants to teach children how to respond to negative acts effectively.

"We're not gonna let them win," he said.