It was only in November that “The Cube” returned from its latest painstaking refurbishment. (It was also spruced up back in 2005.) The public artwork was welcomed home by a cheering throng and eagerly given a lusty whirl by local leaders and politicians.
So it was sad to see Tony Rosenthal’s iconic, spinnable sculpture — real name, “The Alamo” — sporting a smear of white graffiti earlier this week.
William Kelley, the executive director of the Village Alliance business improvement district, said the bronze monolith has already been hit by graffiti “a couple of other times” since its reinstallation at Astor Place. It used to be worse, though.
“Before the renovation it got tagged about once every other month,” Kelley said.
As for cleaning “The Cube,” luckily, it now has a special protective coating.
“Usually a solvent will remove the paint without having to do additional painting,” the BID director noted.
So, at least it’s easier to clean now, right?
“Yes,” Kelley said, “but no less annoying!”
