The mural that had enlivened the pedestrian tunnel by Glacier High School was painted over Thursday, signaling the end of a lengthy and bitter battle with graffiti artists.  

“After years of struggling against persistent vandalism by area youth — including racist slurs and personal attacks targeting apparent students — the damage has simply become too much to maintain,” said officials with the Rails to Trails of Northwest Montana board in an Oct. 23 statement.  

The mural was painted by the KALICO Art Center through the Rails to Trails Tunnel Vision Project in 2021. It was one of eight murals to go up along the Rails to Trails path and funded entirely through donations.  

But the tunnel that runs underneath the U.S. 93 Bypass by Glacier High School has been defaced repeatedly over the years, prompting concerned community members to offer cash rewards for information on the vandals and more recently push school officials to find ways to quell the rampant graffiti.  

Security cameras meant to deter vandals were installed in the tunnel over the summer after securing a permit from the Montana Department of Transportation, according to Glacier High School Principal Brad Holloway.  

“We want to be a good community partner,” Holloway said. “It is a space that the kids use and we want to make it a safe environment for not only the students but community members too.”  

Students pass through the tunnel during lunch to get to Frugals and other businesses in the area. Because the tunnel sits off campus, the school collaborates with law enforcement to address vandalism.   

The Glacier High School Honor Society, which participates in various volunteer service projects, finished painting over the artwork on Thursday, Holloway said.  

The blank wall will make it easier to cover any future graffiti.  

The two murals at either tunnel opening will remain untouched, though, according to Rails to Trails.  

The purpose of the murals was to combat graffiti. While it has mostly worked at the tunnel at Valley View Drive near Lone Pine State Park, vandalism at the tunnel by Glacier High School “has been relentless and damaging, both to the art and to individuals in the community,” according to Rick Hull with Rails to Trails. 

The graffiti escalated from crude images and profanity to “racist, homophobic and sexually explicit messages targeting apparent high school girls by name,” according to Rails to Trails.    

Over $10,000 worth of artwork in the tunnel was lost, according to the group. 

“Volunteers had hoped that applying a $4,250 anti-graffiti sealant would preserve the murals, but the 210-foot tunnel’s size and the frequency of attacks made upkeep impossible,” officials said.  

Attempts to scrub off the graffiti damaged the sealant and the art.  

“This project began with the hope that a vibrant mural would replace hate with creativity. Instead, the tunnel has become a place where harmful language has grown,” said KALICO Art Center Chair Alisha Shilling in a statement. 

City Councilors Sandy Carlson and Kari Gabriel, who represent the ward where the tunnel is located, did not respond to requests for comment before press time.  

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and [email protected].