The streets still gleamed with rain when dozens of protestors lined Orange Avenue this afternoon, seizing on a rare pause in days of downpours. Grandparents and 20-somethings spoke like old friends as they spilled out from the Social Equity through Education (SEE) Alliance building, animated by the impassioned words of local artists, business owners, and nonprofit leaders protesting the erasure of the art beneath their feet. 

That art—vibrant even under gray skies—will be removed due to a new statewide mandate banning all “non-standard” markings on streets, sidewalks and crosswalks. Earlier this week in Orlando, state transportation officials painted over the rainbow crosswalk honoring victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. In  Sarasota, three areas of walkable color are set to disappear: crosswalk art at the intersection of Cocoanut Avenue, Pineapple Avenue and Second Street; crosswalk art at 1400 Main Street; and mural-lined sidewalks threading through Pineapple and Orange avenues.

Officials insist the installations are a distraction to motorists and a hazard to safety, despite ample evidence suggesting they actually lead to safer driving behavior. But for Sarasota residents, the art —which SEE Alliance executive director Zander Moricz reminded the crowd is nonpartisan and nonpolitical— represents beloved memories and keystone moments from our city’s past. Its erasure strips the streets of these stories.

But there's a spark of hope. The SEE Alliance plans to transform its parking lot into a space for art preservation, working with the same sidewalk artists to ensure Sarasota’s colors endure. With chants of, “This is not the end of the art, this is the start,” the farewell became a promise that history can’t be painted over so easily.