Welcome to Graffiti Tour New York's Official Blog
This Blog is all about graffiti, street art, and most importantly photos from around the city
Gaia Hits Elizabeth st. (one block from the Bowery wall!!) July 3, 2011 10:46 p.m
We caught up with Gaia two days ago hitting the new Nicholous Forker curated wall on Elizabeth Street (one block from the Bowery Wall off the south side of Houston st.). This wall is sure to host many great street artists coming up in the next year. According to Forker, “We have the wall booked up till next year with the best of the best.” Check out GTNY photographing Gaia after he finished his work(below). We also have an unconfirmed rumor that he did work on Pike St. last night anyone know? Check out Gaia's Website.
Miss Bug Show at Brooklynite Gallery July 1, 2011 8:24 p.m
Miss Bug who has done a good job of staying anonymous, as put up for sale some great works (pictures below). Miss Bug uses color to fascinate the eye as it almost hypnotizes you as you look through it. I hope Miss Bug does some work on the streets. Check out the Brooklynite Website.
Inside Town And Country July 1, 2011 8:17 p.m
Town and Country was a small exhibition. It was on the 14th floor of a Midtown High-rise. There was a great knit piece by Olek that was probably the most photographed piece there. Leon Reid brought the house down with his walking traffic posts. The posts were originally installed in Brooklyn as street art but now has been making its rounds through the gallery scene. We caught up with Leon during the show (check the pic below). We also caught a glimpse of an oldschool Cost and Revs piece. Overall, a great inside peek into today's street art scene. Check out the Town and Country Website.
Crest Fest 2011 is a Must See July 1, 2011 8:11 p.m
This event is a great street art event running for almost a whole month more. Crest fest is an ingenious combination of gallery and illusiveness. There are over 300 pieces of art inspired by hardware hidden and hung throughout a working hardware store. This gallery is almost more like a scavenger hunt with works hidden behind and in the midst of items being sold for sale. This event gets 5 stars in our book, and we are making it a stop on our Williamsburg tour. Check out the Crest Fest 2011Website.
Get Your Art On – Five Must See street art events this Week June 28, 2011 4:08 p.m
Town and Country Group Show to Debut Tonight - Town & Country is a group show opening tonight at 320 Studios (320 37th st btw 8th and 9th ave on the 14th fl. ) in NYC. Almost 2 dozen artists are in this show, including Leon Reid IV, Veng, White Cocoa, Olek and Chris Stain. Town & Country will only be open for 3 days (June 28th-30th), but it should be a pretty great three days. The opening is on the 28th from 6pm-midnight.
Love, Peace and Unicorns - FB gallery (368 Broadway, No. 211) is proud to present the work of Brazilian artist Zéh Palito with the exhibition “Love, Peace and Unicorns”. Zéh is a street artist from Limeira, Brazil. He’s started to paint in the streets in 2001 and never stopped since then. Last year, during a six months stay in Zambia where he worked for an NGO, Zéh dedicated all of his free time to paint the walls of schools and orphanages to spread love and happiness to the ones who need it most, children. His art reflects his love of life, positivity and energy. It is at the crossroads of Pop art and street art, and it is fitting to show his work in New York, which is the birthplace of both. You can already see his art in the streets of New York at the corner of Broadway and Franklin street, in front of the gallery.
Wellington Court Street Art Project – The Wellington Court Mural Project is a survey of more than 50 years of street art by over 40 artists and lots of well done walls. Ad Hoc Art (An arts collective) collaborates with the Astoria community to beautify their neighborhoods. The artists participating represent over 50 years of experience in the street art scene. The artists include old school legends like Lady Pink and new artists such as Dennis. The walls are already completed. Check it out on the corner of 30th ave. and 12th st. in Astoria Queens.
Miss Bug Show – Miss Bug already opened the doors of a new show called "Parlour" at the Brooklyninte Gallery (334 Malcolm X Boulevard, Brooklyn, NY runs through July 16th) in New York City. Miss Bugs, also known as ‘The Madam’ welcomes you to her boudoir, fit for gods and monsters; a place where all pleasures and nightmares will be catered for! She will take you on a journey to her dark soul. This show is sure to please. Check It out.
Crest Art Show - The 4th annual Crest Hardware Art Show is going on this week. As a means to give back to the community, Crest Fest is structured as a civic-minded, volunteer based event. This year’s program will include a long list of DJs, a live music stage, local creative art and food vendors and additional involvement from surrounding businesses and community organizations. Estimated attendance throughout the day is 4000+.
JR Takes Over Bowery Wall June 26, 2011 2:26 p.m
JR the French wheatpaste artist has taken over the Bowery Wall. JR famous for his winning of the TED prize and his Inside Out project is a welcome change to the wall. JR's Inside Out Project was created to allow the general population to become local street artists. People were invited to send in self portraits and JR would send them back a giant wheatpaste of the self portrait so they could put it up in their community. Check out the photos of the wall. You can see more about the Inside Out Project here.
Fab 5 Freddy with Solo Show on the Bowery June 26, 2011 2:20 p.m
Fred Brathwaite also known as Fab 5 Freddy the iconic hip hop star and graffiti artist is currently hosting a solo gallery show at Gallery 151. Gallery 151 is located at 350 Bowery the show is running until Wednesday. Fab gained his notoriety in 1980, when he covered an entire subway car in Andy Warhol's iconic Campbell's soup cans. We met up with Freddy outside of the show. Check it Out.
Brooklyn Museum Cancels Art In the Streets June 22, 2011 5:06 p.m
The much-anticipated exhibit Art In The Streets from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, has been removed from the Brooklyn Museum schedule. The Brooklyn Museum in a press release cited financial reasons for the cancelation. However, pundits are claiming that the recent increase in graffiti related arrests surrounding the exhibit in LA have scared the Brooklyn Museum. Revok, one of the graffiti artists being featured in the exhibit, was arrested for doing illegal graffiti around LA while the show was being shown. He was caught and the exhibit caught some bad press for not coming to the aid of one of their artists in need. This is a sad day in the graffiti world, but rumors have started to circulate that Jeffrey Deitch, the curator of the exhibit, might bring the installation to New York through his own finances. We will keep you posted on any new developments. You can see more the NY Times comments on their Website.
Museo Del Barrio Launches Street Art Exhibit June 22, 2011 4:59 p.m
El Museo's Bienal: The (S) Files 2011 is El Museo del Barrio's sixth biennial of the most innovative, cutting-edge art created by Latino, Caribbean, and Latin American artists currently working in the greater New York area. This year's edition spreads all over the city, showcasing a record 75 emerging artists in seven di#erent venues. Aiming to expand the definition of contemporary Latino and Latin American art, The (S) Files 2011 takes on a broad exploration of the visual energy, events, and aesthetics of the street. While considering the more conventional understandings of street art such as graffiti tags and mural painting, The (S) Files 2011 extends the definition of street art by also considering non-traditional art objects as well as works from other disciplines, including music and fashion. You can see more on the exhibit on the Museo del Barrio Website.
Cope 2 Solo Show March 31, 2011 2
MOCA's Art in the Street to move to the Brooklyn Museum May 13, 2011 1:24 p.m
The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles is currently showing an exhibit called “Art in the Streets.” It is supposed to be the first major exhibit of modern day street artists. It includes the works of Banksy, ROA, and Martha Cooper to name a few. This exhibit is monumental in allowing for so many of today's street art scene to do work on walls and with actual context but within a museum setting. The Brooklyn Museum recently announced that the exhibit will be moving to its halls in the summer of 2012. Stay tuned for more info on the exhibit as it comes out. You can see more on the exhibit on the MOCA Website.
Cope 2 Solo Show March 31, 2011 2
Cope 2 is going to have a solo show at the TT-Underground Gallery starting April 7th. Cope is a great old school New York artist, and you should definitely check out his show. The TT-Underground Gallery is located at 91 Second Ave lower level New York Ny 10003. You can see his blog here.
5 Pointz set to be Redeveloped March 27, 2011 9:28 p.m
Long Island City's 5 Pointz, the iconic graffiti mecca of the world, may be torn down and replaced with two apartment high rises if building owner Jerry Wolkoff has his way. According to the New York Daily News, Wolkoff recently met with officials from the Department of City Planning to discuss the possibility of 1,300 rental apartments at the site and a revitalization of the entire surrounding block, which was rezoned in 2001 to allow for large-scale development. The $300 million project would include shops, restaurants, a supermarket, open-air concourse and artists' studio space, and would likely require a zoning variance for the taller residential tower, which would rise to 40 stories. The property would also include two walls for graffiti artists to showcase their work. It should be noted that the current 5 Pointz warehouse is covered with graffiti only because of the permission of Wolkoff who allows a non-profit to curate the space. The non-profit at 5 Pointz is currently circulating a petition to make 5 Pointz into a NYC Landmark protecting it from redevelopment and we would like to encourage everyone to sign it. It can be found at here.
JR wants to make You a street artist March 7, 2011 2:14 p.m
French graffiti artist JR has set out on a momentous street art campaign. The Inside-Out project is all about allowing ordinary people create street art. If you send a self portrait, to the Inside-Out project then they will send you back a giant sized mural of your portrait back to you. Then they encourage you to put up the street art somewhere in your local community. Click here to go to the project page.
Banksy hits LA March 1, 2011 3:18 p.m
We all knew Banksy would make his mark as we awaited Exit Through the Gift Shop's fate at the Oscars. Although, Exit Through the Gift Shop was snubbed, Banksy still left his mark all over LA. Banksy created four new works over the past week, and have all been since buffed or taken down. These were not Banksy's best work, but cool nonetheless. Check out the pictures of his work below.
Awaiting Banksy In LA February 20, 2011 11:06 p.m
As the Oscars quickly approach, all of LA is on watch for Banksy. Banksy's movie Exit Through the Gift Shop has been nominated for an Oscar. It is unknown who will be accepting the award. People hope that Banksy will accept the award himself and reveal his true identity. People think that before he does or does not accept the award, he will produce street art in LA. So get out on the streets, and see what you can find LA.
Who is Neck Face? January 9, 2011 10:43 p.m
Neck Face is a graffiti artist from California. He attended The School of Visual Arts in New York City and has since become famous for his street art. His work can be seen all over the Lower East Side. For a long time, Neck Face hid his identity but was exposed by Gawker Media. Since he has signed a graffiti shoe deal with Vans. For more information see the Wikipedia Page here.
Peru Ana Ana Peru January 9, 2011 10:20 p.m
We were asked on a tour this week who was producing the black stickers that read, "Peru Ana Ana Peru." So we have done the research and this what we have found. Peru Ana is a team of street artists made up of one girl and one guy . They are from Bushwick Brooklyn. They are street artists and are most famous for their black stickers they post all over the East Village (See Photo Below). You can see pictures from their gallery opening here. A great interview with them can be found here, and there website is here.
Graffiti Broken Down By Borough January 1, 2011 11:23 p.m
We just stumbled upon a great use of data-mining. Tableau Software created great visual representations of where graffiti incidents in New York City are happening. Brooklyn has more incidents of graffiti this past year than Queens and Manhattan combined. Take a look at the link and see graffiti statistics broken down by borough. For full coverage you can see the blog post.
JR Wins TED Prize October 30, 2010 4:42 p.m
It’s not common for important philanthropic prizes to go to people whose work involves criminal trespass and who make statements like the following: “You never know who’s part of the police and who’s not.” But the TED conference, the California lecture series named for its roots in technology, entertainment and design, said on Tuesday that it planned to give its annual $100,000 prize for 2011 — awarded in the past to figures like Bill Clinton, Bono and the biologist E. O. Wilson — to the Parisian street artist known as J R, a shadowy figure who has made a name for himself by plastering colossal photographs in downtrodden neighborhoods around the world. For full coverage you can see the article in the New York Times.
Bowery Wall Growing Even Stronger September 16, 2010 2:45 p.m
Two weeks after Twist and Amaze created their newest masterpiece, the aura of the Bowery wall is still growing. By our count, the wall had forty unique visitors today. As in, forty people came to that location to see the wall on purpose. As opposed to the hundreds who saw it regardless just passing through. The wall takes the tags of hundreds of artists and recreates them on the wall to pay tribute to the history of graffiti. For full coverage you can see Here.
New York Daily News names New York City's 2010 Best Graffiti August 30, 2010 2:37 p.m
The New York Daily News put together a list of New York City's best graffiti around in 2010. Belin, Otes, and TAKI 183 seem to be featured most. Thse artists are featured in our Harlem Graffiti Tour. The gallery looks great. This is highly recommended. See Here.
MOMO tags his name across the width of Manhattan August 27, 2010 12:33 p.m
A graffiti artist based in New York known as MoMo has drawn a line from one end of Manhattan to the other. If one follows the line (photo below on right) then one can see his name drawn across a map of Manhattan (photo below on left). Easier seen then explained. See below. Click this for the full story.
Who the hell is Jime Joe August 23, 2010 4:26 p.m
Who the hell is Jim Joe? Jim Joe is a Montreal based graffiti writer who attended McGill University and is now based in the Lower East Side of New York. Jim Joe is known for his short, sweet, and sometimes humorous graffiti. Also, the womp tag sometimes seen next to his is his friend and accomplice. To see full coverage of his work including of map of sightings see this. Also, for the original interview with him see this. Furthermore, see his personal website here.
Os Gemeos Back in New York August 18, 2010 4:07 p.m
Os Gemeos, the Brazilian graffiti brothers, we blogged about earlier this month have done another piece in New York featuring Futura. This time the brothers have taken their art to a whole new level, literally. This piece used electric company trucks (the one's with the apple pickers) to keep the artists high enough to finish the piece. The piece is located at 20 West 21st Street next to P.S 11. Check Out Fatcap's complete coverage.
Self Guided Bushwick Graffiti Tour August 18, 2010 at 3:49 p.m
We stumbled upon a self guided Bushwick graffiti tour. It looks pretty awesome. It has many artists including Bisc, Lord and Hoacs to name a few. This tour is highly recommended. It comes complete with a self guided google map to help you get around. To view the map click here.
Seeing Banksy August 17, 2010 at 12:38 p.m
Banksy's Movie Exit Through the Gift Shop is playing at the Landmark Sunshine theater on Houston street. Some people have asked us is it worth seeing. Our review is as follows. Exit Through the Gift Shop is a funny approach to get some insight into the world of graffiti. It is not comprehensive, and it is certainly opinionated. The movie makes no move to defend graffiti against its stereotypes and haters. Overall, the movie is entertaining but not groundbreaking. We give it 6/10 stars. For showtimes see their website.
Tel Aviv Sreet Art August 05, 2010 at 9:51 p.m
The Inspiration Art Festival 2010 in Tel Aviv is looking for artists. If you are in the Middle East this August, I recommend you check this out. Over 700 artists will be on display. Only $25 entrance fee which goes straight to the artists. Take a look at the Web site.
Slovenian Graffiti Art August 04, 2010 at 2:05 p.m
Slovenia has one of the fastest growing art scenes in the world. This past week, a Slovenian paper reported that in Slovenia there is a growing argument over whether or not graffiti is vandalism or art. Local businesses are hiring more and more artists to produce graffiti on their walls. However, local government officials are trying to crack down on the matter. Take a look at the article from a Slovenian paper.
Buenos Aires Argentina - The new Street Art August 02, 2010 at 1:10 p.m
We have gotten lots of questions as to where the best graffiti art in the world is located. We do not have one answer, but we would like to contribute to the debate. Argentina has one of the fastest growing underground art scenes. Our friends at Graffiti Mundo offer tours in Buenos Aires of the graffiti there. Here are some photos of Argentine art. Let us know where you think they rank.
Amsterdam Art July 29, 2010 at 8:30 p.m
We just would like to call attention to a new graf artist named Ives One who has been bombing in Amsterdam. His work just made it to a gallery and is on sale. You can find him on facebook by searching ives.one. Below is one of his pieces for sale.
Is there any more Banksy? July 29, 2010 at 8:15 p.m
Yesterday, Graffiti Tours New York took a tour of all of the places Banksy painted in 2008 to promote his new movie. As far as we can tell they have all been taken down. Sorry folks, we cannot report any new Banksy sightings. We will sure to post them when we do.
Scrap Yard Graffiti Store July 29, 2010 at 7:44 p.m
This past week, Graffiti Tours New York went out to visit Scrap Yard Inc. Scrap Yard is New York City's only remaining graffiti shop. They have a nice selection of spray paint, canvases, and graffiti gear. We especially liked their one of a kind aerosol art hats, albeit pricey at $30 a pop. Definately, check them out for all of your graffiti needs. They are located on West Broadway just north of Canal Street.
Who is the Real Chico July 29, 2010 at 7 p.m
Antonio Garcia, also known as Chico, has been a staple of the Lower East Side graffiti scene for years. If one walks along Avenue C, one can see over twenty works done by Chico over the years. Antonio used to work for the Housing Department of New York and used his artistic talents to give back to his home town. He is coming out with a book this coming fall which Graffiti Tours New York will be featured in. Click here for his personal website.
Brazilian Graffiti Art in New York July 29, 2010 at 3 p.m
A lot of people have been asking us about the old mural that used to be on Houston and Bowery (See photo below). The story goes something like this. Two brazilian brothers Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo, who call themselves Os Gêmeos, did it in July of 2009. It has been replaced, but because of its magnificent colors, it has been one of the most memorable pieces of recent memory. Click here for the full New York Times article about it.
First Blog Post Ever July 29th, 2010 at 12:41 a.m.
Welcome to Graffiti Tours New York's Blog. This blog is all about photos of graffiti. So if you are walking around New York and get a great shot of graff. Let us know, and we will add you to the blog. Here are some shots that we took today in harlem.
