A handful of downtown Syracuse businesses are still boarded up after destructive protests Saturday night. At Wildflowers Armory, a local artist is using this as an opportunity to share a colorful message.

What You Need To Know


  • Wildflowers Armory artists wanted to send a message after the business was vandalized.

  • Kara Daviau painted George Floyd's face on the boarded up windows.

  • It's a symbol to show the world needs change, Daviau said.

“I thought it would be a great idea to throw a symbol on there and what better symbol as to George Floyd’s face to show that the world needs change,” said Kara Daviau, the artist behind the mural.  

The owners of Wildflowers Armory wanted to do something different. Daviau came up with the idea quickly, Monday. Then, she grabbed some mat board, cut out the stencil and bought some spray paint.

“The glass and the boards themselves really seem to symbolize the world right now," said Daviau. "It’s broken.”

In just a few hours, Daviau transformed the boards from bandaids on broken windows into a canvas for change.

“While I was putting up the mural and spraying it, people were stopping, taking pictures, and honking, and saying their appreciation,” said Daviau.  

Daviau is encouraging other artists to use the moment to take a stand. If other businesses want the George Floyd mural, she has the stencil and spray paint.

“We should all see the world in color and not just black and white," said Daviau. "The colors are eye catching. We want everyone to see his face.”