Police investigation of Art Walk vandalism continues

Surveillance photos of the vandals

Artwork intended to uplift kids and provide a sense of self-worth was destroyed by a group of young people in downtown Plymouth last week.

Police are continuing to investigate the vandalism, which was captured on nearby surveillance cameras during the evening of Saturday, July 23. The painting was part of the Plymouth Art Walk, an installation of renowned Plymouth artist Tony Roko and the Art Foundation. 

“It's shocking to me because they're not kids. They're in their early 20s,” Tony Roko said.

Police said the two vandals were part of a group of five people, three men and two women, seen walking together in the early morning hours of July 23.

Tony Roko

“It was like a switch flipped and the next thing you know, they were hyper-focused on breaking and damaging a work of art,” Roko said. 

“They came out of the Post, they crossed Penniman, they walked out of this alley,” said Roko. “This is Phase 1 of the art walk.”

Roko and the Art Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, funded the art walk to activate the unused spaces in the alleys and side streets of downtown Plymouth into a curated outdoor gallery. The art exhibit features four works by Roko and six by program graduates and local artists. The vandalized work was completed by a teenage artist from Detroit who is with the Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan.

“They're all under-served youth,” said Roko. “Kids that might not otherwise get an opportunity to create and have the opportunity to exhibit them in a public art walk. Our program is really meant to uplift kids and give them a sense of self-worth,” said Roko.

The artwork was later found in a nearby parking lot. 

The Plymouth Police Department is looking for the individuals involved in the vandalism of the  artwork. Anyone with information regarding the identity of the vandals is asked to call the police department at (734) 453-1234 x 219 or email  jhiemstra@plymouthpolice.org with any related information.