Art and Culture

Tom Petty memorial vandalized, square cut out of mural on 34th Street Wall

WUFT | By Wyatt Lucas

Published October 23, 2026 at 3:16 PM EDT

A piece was cut out of the 34th Street Wall memorial mural for Tom Petty.

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The Tom Petty memorial mural has been vandalized.

The tribute to Tom Petty on the 34th Street Wall was painted after his death in 2017. It appears that a 3-by-3 foot square has been cut out of the mural. While the damage looks recent we can't confirm when it exactly occurred.

It is the only permanent work on the wall other than the memorial to the University of Florida students killed in 1990. This marks the second time this year the mural has been damaged.

After the original artist, Steve Blake Harrison passed away in 2024, Harry D. Michael restored the painting earlier this year.

The work called Petty "Gainesville's No. 1 son," honoring the Gainesville-born musician. There have been no updates on whether the mural will be restored.

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Tom Petty memorial vandalized, square cut out of mural on 34th Street Wall

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