In 2020 Ellery Neon was living around the corner from this forgotten, tagged up wall around a cellcel phone tower in New Orleans. He decided to paint it for fun, and to add some color to the block., t The first design apair of feminine eyes set in a blue-skinned face. It was February of 2024 and she looked a bit faded and scrawled with small tags. Neon decided to repaint her, with different colors, some changes in design, and the words “All Eyes On Gaza” on the left facing traffic.
The artist's concern with displacement and refugees stems from his own father’s and grandmother's experience in refugee camps post World War II, before arriving in the United States. His mother’s Jewish heritage connects him to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
In October of 2024, the mural was defaced by Zionist Jakob Schanzer which was caught on film. There was a huge community outcry and support for the mural, and later that month Neon repainted the mural with a team of volunteers. A few weeks later, Jakob attacked the mural again–this time completely painting over it. While Neon was not in town to restore it, a group of local artists reclaimed the wall with more messaging of awareness for the situation in Gaza. Schanzer continues to deface the wall, but the diverse group of local artists keep repainting it. Attached are some articles describing the whole drama in detail.
