One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Banksy Piece Rescued From San Francisco Will Be Displayed Downtown
Haight Street Rat being rescued (Photo via Save the Banksy)
A Banksy piece rescued from a historic San Francisco building will be on display in downtown Los Angeles for free through November 28. The Haight Street Rat is one of two Banksy pieces left from a 2010 San Francisco tour Banksy went on during the premiere of the documentary Enter Through the Gift Shop. Now this rescued art piece will go on display for free in the lobby of the US Bank Tower from September 26 through November 28, according to Anastasiya Plotina of Hines Property.
The Haight Street Rat was supposed to be removed, like most of Banksy's work from the tour, to comply with a San Francisco graffiti ordinance. This particular rat had been painted on the side of the Red Victorian bed-and-breakfast on Haight Street, SF Chronicle reports. Art enthusiast Brian Greif asked the owner of the Red Victorian, Sami Sunchild, if he could make a deal with her to remove the siding and save the art. She agreed under the condition that he would not sell the piece. So, with the help of a woodworking company that had experience with historic buildings, he was able to safely remove the rat. Sunchild has since died at the age of 87, but Greif says he remains dedicated to keeping the promise, even as offers with huge price tags (some as high as $700,000) have floated his way.
The redwood panels the rat was initially painted on were restored via a Kickstarter campaign that is featured in the upcoming documentary Saving Banksy.
The piece originally had the rat holding a marker and drawing a red line that connected to a nearby building on the corner of Haight and Belvedere Streets. There, it appeared the rat had written, "THIS IS WHERE I DRAW THE LINE." (You can see photos here.) The text was above a clothing store that was accused of selling T-shirts printed with street artists' work without giving the artists credit.
The US Bank Tower will display the art for free to the public in the lobby until November 28. This same building, the tallest in L.A., recently announced plans to build an observation deck and a restaurant on the top floors.
Banky's Haight Street Rat. US Bank Tower, 633 W. 5th St., DTLA. September 26 through November 28. The lobby doors remain open outside of building hours, so viewers can stop by any time. Free.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
