How Do You Fix a Hated Pop-Up? With an Eye-Catching Mural!

V Street ‘Monstrosity’ Could Get a Beautiful New Look—and Send a Message of Compassion—With ‘Give Peas a Chance’ Mural

For Immediate Release:
May 26, 2015

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

A five-story pop-up house on V Street is so hated by its neighbors that it’s commonly called “the middle finger” and has even been tagged as “the monstrosity” on Google Maps—but PETA believes it can vastly improve the building’s image. In a letter sent this morning, PETA offers to wrap the side of the building with a colorful mural that encourages, “Peas on Earth.”

“PETA’s mural would make ‘The Monstrosity’ an eyesore no more while encouraging the world to make healthy, humane, environmentally sound choices,” says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. “A colorful mural about green eating would make the V Street pop-up eye-catching in a positive way.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—offers tips and recipes for plant-based eating on its website.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

PETA’s letter to Nate Guggenheim and Anne Savage of Washington Fine Properties, LLC follows.

May 26, 2015

Nate Guggenheim and Anne Savage
Washington Fine Properties, LLC

Dear Mr. Guggenheim and Ms. Savage:

I am writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and our more than 3 million members and supporters, including thousands in the D.C. metro area, to offer you and the owners of the V Street pop-up The Ava a way to make it even more eye-catching than it already is—but in a really lovely way. We’d like to place this mural on the side of “the monstrosity” to remind people that they can help make their community—and the world—a more peaceful and prettier place.

More and more people are looking for healthy ways to eat, more and more people are worrying about the effect of animal-based agriculture on the planet’s resources, and the majority of people want to have a good relationship with animals.

PETA’s mural would bring color to The Ava as well as an upbeat, healthy message that we can all get along. If the owners agree, PETA will place the mural on the building with no charge to you. We’d also include the participation of local artists, another positive media-worthy event.

Thank you. I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Lindsay Rajt
PETA