Their hearts go out to him… .
A Memorial Chalk Out was held in Washington Square Park on Sunday for the late street artist Hash Halper.
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Halper a.k.a. New York Romantic, a fine-art painter, starting chalking hearts on Downtown’s pavement in 2014, racking up a total of more than 300,000 of them over the years.
He died on June 11 at age 41, reportedly after jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge.
Growing up, Halper was called Heshy, which explains why some of the hearts drawn in Washington Square say Hesh not Hash.
Sunday’s event also focused on raising awareness of mental health, homelessness and drug abuse. In addition, organizers collected donations to create a memorial bronze statue that they hope to install permanently Downtown.
Everyone around the fountain in the park on Sunday afternoon was complaining there was no place to sit without getting chalk all over your pants.