This park was falling apart. Indy skaters are banding together to fix it.

INDIANAPOLIS (MIRROR INDY) — On a hot August evening, Casper Jones stood barefoot in the Lawrence Community Skate Park so his shoes wouldn’t get wet. Since the morning, he’d been removing graffiti from the concrete using a power washer.

Graffiti is a common fixture at skate parks. But in Lawrence, Jones and other skaters say it has gotten out of hand — inviting people to leave their trash and disrespect the space.

Last month, someone even spray painted a racial slur at the park.

“When the park gets so bad that people feel like they can come here and share their hate,” Jones said, “that’s when it’s time to step up and change something.”

Jones, who designs custom skateboards, also is an ambassador for Skatepark Respect Inc., an international nonprofit aimed at keeping skate parks clean. He’s now working with a group of local skaters and Lawrence officials to clean up the park.

And to add some new graffiti — this time, from professional artists and members of the community.

The day after Jones noticed the slur in July, he immediately tried to remove it.

He also posted a video to social media, hoping to create a positive influence for other local skaters. That’s when local muralist Robert Bentley reached out, offering to cover up any negative images.

There is a self-governing aspect in the graffiti community, Bentley said, with rules of etiquette for the community to follow.

“A good way of governing spaces like this is to put those really well thought out, well-finished pieces up,” Bentley said.

Jones then started thinking about other lasting changes at the park.

“And I thought, well what if we get in contact with the park board and get that actually started?” Jones said.

Jones contacted Lawrence Parks Director Eric Martin about a proposal: If the parks department would pay for spray paint and some materials, skaters would repair some equipment and cover the park with work from local artists.

Martin was on board, without any hesitation. Shortly after the skate park opened in 2008, Martin said, unwanted graffiti started contributing to its decline.

“We tried to keep up with it, and just lost control of it,” Martin said. “Some of the obstacles in here need repair. We had to pick up trash every day. It frustrated us.”

In the weeks since local skateboarders started leading a cleanup effort, though, Martin said the parks department has rarely had to pick up any trash.

“I think the respect that they’ve generated by just picking up trash,” Martin said, “the whole community sees that.”

Creating community pride

As Bentley prepares for his mural, he said he’s contacted nearly 20 other local artists to add murals of their own.

“If you do these full production, professional level graffiti pieces, it’ll be a different vibe,” Bentley said. “It won’t attract as many tags and things like that.”

To help get more people involved, Bentley has planned an interactive community paint project.

The middle of the skate park will feature the city of Lawrence’s seal. Community members will have the chance to paint their own sections of the seal.

Neighbors are encouraged to watch artists paint the park at a Spray & Skate event 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 8. The event will also feature music and food vendors.

A tight knit community

The Lawrence skate park is the closest one to Michelle Rippy’s home. In her free time, she picks up trash at the park and has noticed other people doing the same.

“I have no problem volunteering my spare time to come pick up trash, to come put some elbow grease in and help make this park something that everyone could have some pride in,” she said.

That’s an example of what Jones talks about when he says the Indianapolis skate scene is tight-knit.

The group also has decided to create a memorial on the park’s steps for members of the community who have died.

One of the skaters who will be honored is Rippy’s brother. She has a picture of the two sitting on those same steps.

“It’s important to continue to memorialize them, but it also establishes a personal connection throughout every community to this park,” Jones said.

Rippy said the city gave skaters the park, so it’s up to skaters to take care of it.

She hopes the local skateboarding community will grow as a result of the park’s revitalization.

“We won’t get that if it gets shut down or something because people aren’t taking care of it,” Rippy said. “A little bit of effort makes a big difference.”

Mirror Indy reporter Darian Benson covers east Indianapolis. Contact her at 317-397-7262 or darian.benson@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @HelloImDarian.