Graffiti on Wisconsin Veterans Museum to be removed

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Graffiti spray painted on the outside of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum standing directly across the street from the state Capitol will be removed starting this week, the state Department of Veterans Affairs said Monday.

The building owner, Executive Management, Inc., notified the state that the repair work was set to begin after consulting with its insurance company and deciding the best way to clean the delicate stone, the Department of Veterans Affairs said.

Various veterans groups had been calling for the damage to be repaired. The building owner, Greg Rice, had been working with the groups and his insurance company to get the work done.

Most of the damage was done in June by those protesting against racism and police brutality following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. Plywood placed over the windows of the building, which was subsequently decorated with art commissioned by the city of Madison, has already been removed.

The state leases space in the building and the museum is run by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation Board. The museum has been closed since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.