obliterating graffiti that had been there since 1970

Sounds like real (folk) art to me, Diane - better that that the present - er - instalation. The money would have been better spent on digitising their archive and setting up an open access website, along the lines of The Max Hunter Collection. But no - we'll have a piece of mediocre junk that has FA to do with what the organisation are supposed to be representing. What a waste.