Graffiti artists get ear of city council

THE DETERMINATION of a group of graffiti artists whose work on Avenida des Matires has been decried by President Ricardo Martinelli, is opening doors in other quarters.

Panama City Mayor, Roxana Méndez, said Tuesday, December 17 that she will form a committee to examine the proposal of artistic group El Kolectivo to paint a mural to honor the heroes of January 1964 along the Avenue of the Martyrs reports La Prensa

"The doors are open so that we can talk," the mayor said. "What we're looking for is that the rules are followed and that there is not anarchy."
According to Méndez, the group needs to respect the rules that govern graffiti so that the city is preserved.
The mayor said the discussion will also involve the National Institute of Culture, and that the group could possibly be granted space to work near the Plaza 5 de Mayo.
It is unknown if El Kolectivo, which has been painting images on the Avenue has agreed to that proposal. It wants to commemorate events of January 9 1964, when students of the National Institute were killed in a confrontation with US troops after entering the Canal Zone and hoisting the Panamanian flag over a school.
City Council members offered their support to the artistic movement, and have formed a committee to examine the issue.