5Pointz aerosol art complex and its whitewashing

5Pointz was an industrial building complex in Long Island City known as an international graffiti and aerosol art mecca where hundreds of artists painted large-scale murals. In November 2013 the building’s owner had much of the exterior whitewashed overnight prior to demolition, an act widely reported in national media. In 2018 a federal jury awarded artists approximately $6.7 million under the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA) for the destruction of their works at the site. The complex was demolished in 2014 and replaced by residential development.