Graffiti Alley Baltimore, also known as Graffiti Alley, is an urban art venue situated in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District of Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The alley provides an open and legal platform for graffiti art. [1] [2]
Graffiti Alley in Baltimore was initially an overlooked urban area. In 1995 local artists initiated the process of turning the blank walls into canvases for graffiti. This process was formalized in 2005 when Sherwin Mark, [3] owner of one of the three commercial structures forming the alley's walls – successfully advocated for the alley's designation as a legal spot for graffiti. This development significantly reduced the instances of graffiti-related prosecution. [4]
Graffiti Alley has now become a local landmark [5] and tourist attraction [6]
Graffiti is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elaborate wall paintings, and has existed since ancient times, with examples dating back to ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire.
Nicholaus Ryan Kipke is an American politician. Since 2007, he has served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 31. He previously served as the Minority Leader of the Maryland House of Delegates from 2013 to 2021.
Bolton Hill is a neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland, with 20 blocks of mostly preserved buildings from the late 19th century. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, preserved as a Baltimore City Historic District, and included within the boundaries of Baltimore National Heritage Area. The neighborhood is bounded by North Avenue, Mount Royal Avenue, Cathedral Street, Dolphin Street, and Eutaw Place. Bolton Hill is a largely residential neighborhood with three-story row houses with red brick, white marble steps, and high ceilings. There are also larger more ornate originally single-family houses, many houses of worship, parks, monuments, and a few large apartment buildings. Many significant residents have lived in the neighborhood, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Woodrow Wilson, the Cone sisters, and Florence Rena Sabin.
Street art is visual art created in public locations for public visibility. It has been associated with the terms "independent art", "post-graffiti", "neo-graffiti" and guerrilla art.
The city of Baltimore, Maryland, has been a predominantly working-class town through much of its history with several surrounding affluent suburbs and, being found in a Mid-Atlantic state but south of the Mason-Dixon line, can lay claim to a blend of Northern and Southern American traditions.
Reverse graffiti is a method of creating temporary or semi-permanent images on walls or other surfaces by removing dirt from a surface. It can also be done by simply removing dirt with the fingertip from windows or other dirty surfaces, such as writing "wash me" on a dirty vehicle. Others, such as graffiti artist Moose, use a cloth or a high-power washer to remove dirt on a larger scale.
Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake is an American politician and attorney who served as the 50th Mayor of Baltimore from 2010 to 2016, the second woman to hold that office. She has also served as secretary of the Democratic National Committee and as president of the United States Conference of Mayors.
Melbourne, the capital of Victoria and the second largest city in Australia, has gained international acclaim for its diverse range of street art and associated subcultures. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, much of the city's disaffected youth were influenced by the graffiti of New York City, which subsequently became popular in Melbourne's inner suburbs, and along suburban railway and tram lines.
Community Greens, sometimes referred to as backyard commons, urban commons, or pocket neighborhoods, are shared open green spaces on the inside of city blocks, created either when residents merge backyard space or reclaim underutilized urban land such as vacant lots and alleyways. These shared spaces are communally used and managed only by the residents whose homes abut them. They are not a public park, a private backyard, or a community garden; however, they can function as all three.
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census, it is the 30th-most populous US city. Baltimore was designated as an independent city by the Constitution of Maryland in 1851, and is the most populous independent city in the nation. As of 2020, the population of the Baltimore metropolitan area was 2,838,327, the 20th-largest metropolitan area in the country. The city is also part of the Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area (CSA), which had a 2020 population of 9,973,383, the third-largest in the country. Though Baltimore is not located within or under the administrative jurisdiction of any county in the state, it is part of the Central Maryland region, together with the surrounding county that shares its name.
Graffiti is writing or drawings scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place. Graffiti ranges from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings. Graffiti, consisting of the defacement of public spaces and buildings, remains a nuisance issue for cities.
Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park is a park in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the second-largest woodland park in the United States, constituting a contiguous area of 1,216 acres (492 ha). Envisioned as a "stream valley park" to protect Baltimore's watersheds, including the Gwynns Falls, from overdevelopment and to preserve their natural habitats. It is well known for the fact that over 75 bodies have been discovered in the park since the 1940s. It is also home to the Baltimore Herb Festival.
Parachuting Rat was a series of artworks in Melbourne, Australia, created by Banksy. On 26 April 2010, one was painted over by council contractors, leading to local and international coverage and debate on the nature of street art and its preservation, and new measures for its protection.
Graffiti in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a cause of much disagreement among its residents. Graffiti is seen by some as an art form adding to the Toronto culture; however, others see graffiti as form of vandalism, viewing it as ugly, or as a form of property damage.
Gaia is an American street artist who has received significant museum showings and critical recognition. Based in Baltimore, he has created large-scale murals worldwide to engage the community where he works in a dialogue by using historical and sociological references to these neighborhoods. Besides continuing to do commissions for private and corporate clients, Gaia is teaching two classes a semester- Drawing and Professional Development at his alma mater MICA.
Facter, or Fletcher Anderson, is a Melbourne based, Australian multi-disciplinary artist, best known for his colorful creatures rendered in a illustrative style.
Robbyn T. Lewis is an American politician who has served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing the 46th district since 2017.
Melissa R. Wells is an American politician who has served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 40 since 2019.
Elizabeth M. Embry is an American politician who is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates for District 43A in Baltimore. In 2018, she was a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, running on the ticket of Prince George's County executive Rushern Baker. In 2016, she was a candidate for mayor of Baltimore.
Legal walls or open walls, are public spaces where graffiti is allowed by any member of the public.