The city of Albuquerque, where officials view graffiti more often as vandalism than as art, was purposely chosen to take a fresh look at the talent possessed by graffiti artists and the beauty of the medium itself.

The challenge of this exhibition consisted of taking graffiti away from boxcars and city streets, and hanging it on gallery walls. We didn’t want to offend artists by misrepresenting their intentions or their political statements. At the same time, we wanted to present the work in a way that is approachable for the general public. For this reason, we chose two venues for this exhibition: The Harwood Art Center, a traditional gallery space where the public could view graffiti-inspired paintings, and the exterior of AC2, where graffiti panels could be viewed from the street. The purpose of this exhibition was to raise awareness of an art form that is under-represented, politically charged, and culturally rich.

Aerosol Murals and Graffiti-Inspired Artwork