One of artdc Gallery’s longest-lasting pieces of art was supposed to be temporary.

The art gallery in the Lustine Center of Arts District Hyattsville painted directions on the sidewalk during last year’s Hyattsville Arts Festival.

Artdc founder Jesse Cohen told the Hyattsville Wire that the markers were meant to help visitors find their way to the gallery, since the festival was being held down the street.

The gallery worked with EYA, one of the event’s sponsors and developer of the Arts District Hyattsville west side, to get permission and expected the markers would go away on their own.

“We found a paint that uses a water soluble solvent with a chalk pigment so we thought this would truly be a temporary mark,” he said in an email interview. “As it turns out, it was a bit difficult to remove even with the temporary nature of this paint, so EYA did help us remove some of the marks with a power washer.”

A few markers are still visible, but they are fairly nondiscreet and, in our view, a cool addition to the local streetscape.