Author: By Donovan Slack, Globe Correspondent Date: 07/26/2003 Page: B1 Section: Metro/Region
Gliding gracefully through the centuries-old structures that bridge the majestic Charles River is a test in patience these days for kayak enthusiast Robert Canterbury.
There is no better place to take in Boston's sweeping skyline or the architectural treasures that make up nearby university campuses, he says, but rampant graffiti painted on the river's many bridges has made the view an assault on the senses.
"It's visual pollution," lamented Canterbury, 57. "Is this the face we want to show to tourists? It's vandalism, it's criminal, and it has to stop."
Now, officials at the Charles River Conservancy are taking up Canterbury's cause. With the river the epicenter of attractions that draw hundreds of thousands on the Fourth of July and at the Head of the Charles Regatta, the conservancy is lobbying for a cleanup.
"It's similar to when you have a party," said Renata von Tscharner, executive director of the advocacy group. "You think, `A lot of people are going to look at my living room. I'd better clean it up."
But these are no typical graffiti markings: "USA National Team," "Tufts" and "MIT crew."
Graffiti here is an insider's game, where few outside the elite world of university rowing crews know the rules. Who paints what bridge with whose name or logo can bring prestige and respect for a team and its school. "Whatever bridge is near their boathouse, they tend to mark up, but there are certain bridges that everyone wants to paint," former rower Courtney Standish said. "It's definitely a type of war."
When one crew "tags" another's bridge, there's bound to be retaliation "tagging," she said. And no one considers the displays of school pride criminal.
"It's been a gallery for generations," said Richard Taffe, spokesman for Boston University, whose namesake bridge is considered the most prestigious canvas because of its visibility from Storrow Drive.
Bridges from the Longfellow near downtown Boston to the Arsenal between Brighton and Watertown boast logos and slogans, including those of Harvard, Northeastern, and Simmons College crews. Even teams from Brookline High School and Buckingham, Browne and Nichols, a private school, are respresented.
The "tagging" dates at least as far back as 1996. That was the year the state sent letters to the schools asking them to stop defacing the state-owned bridges.
Officials at the newly constituted Department of Conservation and Recreation are considering taking up the thorny issue again, but their conviction or capacity to remove the graffiti or stop the practice is unclear. "Certainly in the past, it's apparent that cleaning the graffiti did not occur," department spokesman Felix Browne said.
Finances may also hamper any cleanup effort. For example, steam-cleaning the Longfellow Bridge earlier this year after paint-filled balloons left a splattered mess on the structure's signature salt-and-pepper-shaker columns cost the department $160,000.
With at least eight bridges needing graffiti removal, cleaning Boston's "living room" could cost taxpayers as much as $1.3 million.
Von Tscharner has a better idea: Create a cleanup competition between the school rowing teams blamed for the displays. "We could get their pride that was directed to their team and redirect that pride to their civic environment," she said.
Already, the conservancy has helped Canterbury create a website detailing the defacing in pictures, and it is seeking support from other organizations that have a vested interest in seeing the river preserved.
Officials from several schools said they do not endorse or encourage the bridge painting practice, and some said they would consider the campaign to remove the "tags."
"Everybody's willing to talk about it," said John Benedick, assistant director of athletics at MIT.
At this point the opposition to graffiti removal may come from an unexpected source - the tourism industry that Canterbury and von Tscharner say they are trying to protect.
Tour guides at the Charles River Boat Company say the graffiti actually bolsters the Hollywood image of the Bostonian experience celebrated in movies such as "Good Will Hunting."
"It's all your perception: What is art?" said 22-year-old Kevin O'Leary. "Would you rather look at a large pile of rust or sometimes an entertaining piece of art or some entertaining phrases?"
As one of the company's afternoon cruises chugged up the river and under the BU bridge Wednesday, another guide, Howard Woodbury, explained the difference between sculling and sweeping, giving passengers a small glimpse into the world of rowing. "A good racing crew can go three times as fast as we can," he said. "Up to 20 miles per hour."
Rolf Taubert, a German biotech consultant in town on business, stared out the window at the underside of the bridge.
"It's the same in Germany," he said. "We have soccer clubs and I think they do the same thing. Nevertheless, I thought Boston would be a nicer city than many German cities."