At a park dedicated to Tampa’s rich Black history, art is smashed

Perry Harvey Sr. Park is a hard-fought testament to Tampa’s Black history. Built at the edge of downtown in a place once called The Scrub where freed slaves settled, it features a curving history walk lined with public art.

Late Monday night or early Tuesday, someone took a blunt object to that art, repeatedly smashing at least a half dozen large works that depict the faces of early Black leaders and residents and scenes of what life was like. The vandal or vandals also bashed a nearby interactive kiosk for city visitors.

The history walk art — called “Lifetiles” by artist Rufus Butler Seder — covers from the end of the Civil War to Central Avenue’s heyday as the epicenter of Black life in Tampa to theCivil Rights movement and beyond. The photos and depictions change and morph as a visitor passes.

The thick glass on that series of artworks appears to have been smashed about 30 times.

“I’m still recovering from the shock,” Fred Hearns, curator of Black history at the Tampa Bay History Center and longtime supporter of the park, said Wednesday. “I put my hands in the holes and just walked around in disbelief.”

“Who in the world would be that angry with people for celebrating their history?” said Hearns, retired head of community affairs for the city who later served as chairperson of the park’s citizens’ committee. “I don’t get it.”

Tampa Police spokesperson Eddy Durkin said detectives are working to develop leads and review any surveillance video from local businesses and residences. Asked if investigators believe the attack was racially motivated or a random act, Durkin said, “We don’t rule out anything in the beginning of an investigation.”

Gwen Henderson, the Tampa City Council’s lone Black member, who has plans to revitalize the historic community around the park, said she went there by herself Tuesday night “so I could be upset alone.”

Kids playing there saw her looking at the smashed glass, she said. One of them told her: “This is so messed up. Why would they do that?”

“I can’t define a person that would take a sledgehammer or whatever they used to be that destructive to every single picture,” she said.

“I don’t want to be quick to jump and say it was race, but I can say it was hate, hate for art, destruction of property,” Henderson said. “It was illegal.”

City staff is documenting the damage and contacting professionals who repair art for assessment and recommendations, according to Robin Nigh, the city’s arts and cultural affairs manager. They are also reaching out to the artist regarding the feasibility of him making the repairs, she said. Restoration is expected to take at least a year and will likely cost tens of thousands of dollars.

“If for some reason repairs cannot be made, we will work with Parks, the artists and community on rebuilding,” Nigh said in an email, “because visual art is one of the strongest statements a community can make to show its values.”

Along with downtown’s Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, Perry Harvey is part of the city’s building boom renaissance. The history walk — along with the giant music-themed sculptures, leaders’ row, festival lawn and bronze statue of Harvey, a civil rights leader and longtime head of the longshoreman’s union — debuted in 2016 as part of a $6.95 million makeover. Supporters had long fought to replace dilapidated fields and run-down basketball courts there.

In June, the Tampa Bay Times reported that some Perry Harvey enthusiasts — including Harvey’s granddaughter — believed the park wasn’t getting the same attention, maintenance and level of events as the other downtown venues. Hearns said that, after the article and an editorial, city officials met with him at the park to go over concerns.

“The city bent over backwards to respond,” Hearns said.

“It’s sad,” he said. “We make progress, and there’s always somebody somewhere who doesn’t want to see it.”

Henderson said until repairs can be made, she would like to see signs put up that explain the damage.

“Until we get it fixed, we should at least acknowledge that we know what’s happened and we’re going to do something about it,” she said. “It’s just proof that we’ve got to keep fighting every day to keep our history alive.”