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The Street Art of the Rainbow Nation: Walking in Cape Town, South Africa
There is nothing more thrilling than setting foot in a new country, so distant and different from your home. And nothing is more fulfilling than learning to understand the complicated history and culture of the community you enter. Perhaps one of the best ways to do it is through the city’s street art.
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Spinning the Wheels of Positivity with Bikedesuro
The Spanish philosopher Ortega y Gasset stated: “I am myself and my circumstances.” And in this way, there are artists that reflect the personality of the city in which they emerge. This is the case of BikedeSuro, born from the convergence of several factors in Valencia: the wine culture of the Mediterranean, the tradition of cork obtained from our cork oak forests, the environmentalism that goes hand in hand with a passion for bicycles and recycling, and the open-mindedness of the city towards street art.
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Graffiti Writer or Street Artist? Norwegian Artist Martin Whatson Says He’s Both
In the world of public art, there’s this persistent debate that seeks to categorize art into two neat little, mutually exclusive, boxes: graffiti or street art. And artists working in public spaces are often called upon to define themselves: graffiti writer or street artist, choose a side, make a choice, fill out a commitment form, and sign it. Martin Whatson, the Norwegian artist, has an answer: Both.
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Vulnerability and Strength with Brittney S. Price
As a child, there was no mention or representation of Black artists in Palm Springs, CA-based muralist Brittney S. Price’s school curriculum. So she became what she did not see. Since then, Price has been grateful for the opportunities to push Black culture forward in a town that only had 12 high school students in an entire high school. Brittney was one of them, and the artist we see today is not the same artist from yesterday. By sharing her love for art and passion for life through her murals, we see a future where Black creativity is a necessity for a thriving community through public art in the form of mural making.
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EINE STADT WIRD BUNT: Unlocking the History of Tags
A graffiti exhibition is the last thing you would expect in a museum known for its archaic form and looming historical presence. Despite its novelty, the carefully curated “EINE STADT WIRD BUNT: Hamburg Graffiti History 1980-1999” is the Museum of Hamburg History’s highest-attended exhibit. With over 75,000 visitors since its opening in November 2022, the museum has extended its run until January 7th, 2024.
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Park Avenue’s Tunnel Vision
The section of the fabled street just below 42nd Street, where Grand Central blocks the road forcing traffic to go around via the Park Avenue viaduct, is among Manhattan’s busiest pedestrian thoroughfares. The perfect place for some art. That’s exactly what Patrons of Park Avenue (POPA) had in mind when they started featuring art installations on the Park Avenue Malls. Yes, even Park Avenue has its underground, quite literally, and this one has a distinct downtown edge to it. Read Scott Orr’s account of what happens under Park Avenue.
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The Renaissance of Long Beach, CA
Long Beach Wall has been bringing murals to Long beach for over 7 years with a mission to change the face of Long Beach through art, one wall at a time.
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Pay Peanuts, Get Monkeys: The Devaluing of Public Art With Lucas Geor
“It’s funny the hand that artists play in gentrification. Artists will move into an area because the rent’s cheap, maybe the buildings are a bit run down so people don’t mind you painting on the walls. They make the area look cool, and people start to come, and then developers catch on to it. They put up apartment blocks. And then they run out all of the artists who live there. That’s kind of the cycle. As more and more of that happens, I guess people just seem to think that art is for free, you know?” – Lucas Geor
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Photos from Boone Avenue Walls 2023
This August, over 100 artists were invited to the 9th annual Boone Avenue Walls Arts Festival with the event culminating on August 26 & 27, 2023. Curated by Wen Cod, the invited artists included some of the best muralists and style masters in the world. Photos by Kurt Boone.
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A Q&A with Carlos Eduardo Porras from the Venezuela Art Fair
Meet Carlos Eduardo Porras, Venezuelan fine artist known for his vibrant depictions of nature and positive attitude. UP MAG sat down with him for a Q&A in review of this year’s Venezuela Art Fair, which he participated.
