San Gabriel Valley : PAINT WITH A PURPOSE

More than 1,000 Pasadena youngsters are trying to thwart graffiti vandals this summer by painting murals on city park walls.

“We’re working with the theory that if children are participating in the creation of artwork for their park, they’re much less likely to come along later and graffiti [the walls],” said Christy Armstrong, outreach director for the Amory Center for the Arts in Pasadena.

The arts center is sponsoring the project with the city of Pasadena’s Public Works Department, which picked out the most graffiti-prone walls for the mural projects at Washington, Jefferson and Robinson parks.

Local artists are directing the murals, which will incorporate poetry and other contributions from schoolchildren. The program’s funding includes a $100,000 graffiti abatement grant from Los Angeles County.