In 1985, David Wojnarowicz and other New York artists traveled to Louisville, Kentucky, to create site-specific murals for a weeklong fundraiser benefiting the Kentucky Child Victims' Trust Fund. The murals were expected to be destroyed after the event, but in 2023, the Wojnarowicz Foundation discovered that Wojnarowicz's mural, titled 'The Missing Children Show' Mural, had survived behind a false wall. However, the work has since been covered again, leaving its fate uncertain.
The rediscovery of this mural is significant because it is the largest known extant mural by Wojnarowicz, a key figure in the East Village art scene whose work often addressed social justice and personal trauma. The mural's survival offers a rare opportunity to study a major installation from a pivotal period in his career, while its re-covering highlights the ongoing challenges of preserving ephemeral public art. The story also underscores the importance of archival documentation and the enduring relevance of Wojnarowicz's activist themes.