On Sunday we received an email from our friend Chor Boogie in San Francisco. He shared what had happened to him the previous night while working on a large mural on Market Street in San Francisco. Chor Boogie was stabbed twice after confronting four people who were trying to steal his spray paint. This is a news clip about the unfortunate event that took place.

Chor Boogie calls himself a spray paint artist. He’s well known in the art world. His murals can be seen in cities around the globe. He was even featured at the Beijing Olympics, but it was in his hometown of San Francisco where he was stabbed Saturday night. He was working on a project on Market Street between Sixth and Seventh streets.

“Lower left side right here and one in the back,” says Boogie as he explained where he was stabbed.

Boogie says he got hurt when he confronted four people who were trying to steal his spray paint. They took off on a Muni bus, but he hopes surveillance cameras will help police track them down.

“Definitely, I’m angry, but I have forgiveness in my heart. I forgive, but if they do get caught I will press charges,” says Boogie.

Boogie’s mural is part of San Francisco’s Art in Storefronts project launched last month. The arts commission selected 20 artists to come up with art installations aimed at revitalizing Market Street and other neighborhoods.

“Chor Boogie along with all the other artists that were invited to the Art In Storefronts program were only paid $500 to help defray some of their expenses associated with these installations, so they’re really providing a gift to the city,” says Luis Cancel from the San Francisco Arts Commission.

Despite being stabbed, Boogie has every intention of completing his gift to the city. He plans to go back to work in about a week.

“I’m still happy and willing to go down there and finish my project. Market Street is a beautiful street. It can happen anywhere, anyplace anytime to anybody. It just happened to me,” says Boogie.

The arts commission is hoping this was an isolated incident, but just to be safe, it is now recommending that artists working out in public on city projects do not work alone.

A press conference has been scheduled for some time next week, but the location and time are to be announced later.

Source: ABC