Purim has wrapped up in Brooklyn after three days and two nights of exuberant revelry in Hasidic neighborhoods—a celebration that, at first glance, might seem like a fusion of Halloween and New Year’s, complete with thousands of costumed kids and exuberant teens, many of whom are noticeably inebriated, blasting music into the night from roaming RVs. Of course, this being New York, the city takes it all in stride—because if there’s one place that can handle a rolling, Yiddish-speaking Mardi Gras in March, it’s Brooklyn.
In NYC news, we note two interesting new exhibitions, like the one celebrating the 20th anniversary of those orange fluttering “gates” one winter in Central Park. Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Gates and Unrealized Projects for New York City at The Shed is an immersive exhibition that includes an augmented reality component and rekindles memories for those who witnessed The Gates and unveils hidden stories for new audiences. In new exhibitions, we shout out to the artist duo Zorawar Sidhu and Rob Swainston and their new show Flash Point at Petzel. In visually arresting large-scale woodcut and silkscreen prints that echo the chaotic energy of city streets, they examinethe Anthropocene, forced migrations, and American civil unrest through layered compositions that slow down the rapid circulation of news imagery.
And we continue with our interview with the street, this week including Degrupo, Below Key, JerkFace, Roachi, BK Ackler, Denis Ouch, Manuel Alejandro NYC, ATOMS, Wild West, Helch, Sport, Zore64, Obek, and Soul.
This week, we have new stuff from New York and Miami, in our visual interview with the streets, featuring Homesick, Smells, SRKSHNK, Crisp, Dr. Revolt, TBanbox, Urwont, OSK OSK, ASIK107, Man in the Box, Dam Crew, Stef Skills, COF Crew, Danny Doya, JAYDEE, Cinco, and WKS Crew.
A pioneer of French graffiti from Guadaloupe, Shuck One, is presenting Regeneration at the Pompidou Center’s Black Paris exhibition (March 19–June 30), honoring Black figures who shaped France’s history through large-scale paintings and collages depicting key moments like the Tirailleurs Sénégalais, the 1967 Guadeloupe riots, and the BUMIDOM migration program, alongside portraits of pioneers such as Aimé Césaire, Angela Davis, and Joséphine Baker.
Meanwhile, here’s our interview with the streets this week, including City Kitty, Homesick, Modomatic, Muebon, Hearts NY, V. Ballentine, Nice Beats, Rams, Batola, PEAKS, Adze, Daniel Daz Carello, Andre Trainer, and Maniphes.
Welcome to BSA Images of the Week! Feeling that Valentine’s chocolate buzz? Gearing up for President’s Day? Thank goodness for holidays—little pauses in the relentless, whiplash-inducing news cycle we’re all riding.
First, some street art news:
San Francisco street artist Rabi Torres taps into ad culture subversion with his new “We Buy Souls” campaign, echoing the tactics of Cash For Your Warhol artist Hargo—right down to the cryptic answering machine message and documentation website. This kind of remixing of commercial signage also has historical roots in Ed Ruscha’s experiments with text, Barbara Kruger’s billboard-style commands, Jenny Holzer’s wheat pasted provocations, Corita Kent’s screen prints, and the bold aesthetics of the Colby Poster Printing Co. Certainly Rabi is getting people’s attention in a San Francisco cityscape that some may describe as hammered with advertising. Call the number on the signs, and you might get pulled into an existential rabbit hole—if you’re up for the game. SF Gate breaks it down here.
It looks like the card company using Banksy-style artwork for its designs may soon put the anonymous street artist in the public eye, as its trademark case with Full Color Black continues to progress in court. Depending on the twists and turns of this legal case, you may see Banksy making a public appearance.
Meanwhile, here’s our interview with the streets this week, including Nick Walker, Clown Soldier, IMK, EXR, W3RC, Sluto, Short, Zaver, Katie Merz, Geraluz, Helch, HVC, TOD, Peter Daverington, Carve, and Kee:
The White House is running a masterclass in rapid-fire policy moves, deploying a ‘shock and awe’ strategy that keeps everyone—reporters, analysts, and politicians alike—scrambling to keep up. This week alone, the administration launched a ‘Faith Office’, proposed a federal task force to tackle anti-Christian bias,slapped sanctions on ICC officials looking into U.S. and Israeli military actions, floated the idea of turning Gaza into the ‘Riviera of the Middle East’, and sent Congress a $7 billion arms sale notification for Israel.It’s a policy blitzkrieg that leaves no time to process one move before the next headline drops. Some of these proposals will gain traction, and others will fizzle, but the message is clear: the news cycle belongs to them. We haven’t heard a lot of policy changes that repair the holes in the social safety net and help the poor and struggling middle class yet, but we’re sure those are just around the corner.
Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Eric Adams is catching heat to clarify a contentious ICE memo. Critics say it gives federal immigration agents way too much leeway, potentially endangering city employees and immigrant communities alike. We’re not cracking any jokes here because it’s too serious, and too many people living in New York are impacted. The anti-immigrant fever that has infected parts of the US has thus far not surfaced here in any appreciable quantity, perhaps because New York has traditionally been proud to be a city of immigrants.
While you won’t find murals explicitly tackling these new and rekindled political firestorms (yet), the chaotic, overlapping narratives on NYC’s walls feel like a fitting reflection of the moment. Confusion, authority, resistance, chaos, cats—it’s all out there, spray-painted and wheat-pasted for anyone paying attention.
Here’s our weekly conversation with the street, this week featuring Shiro, Sticker Maul, Werds, One Rad Latina, Dzel, George Collagi, Jocelyn Tsajh, Quaker Pirate, Guadalupe Rosales, and Lokey Calderon.
Here’s our weekly conversation with the street, this week featuring Homesick, Degrupo, BK Foxx, Werds, EXR, Manuel Alexandro, Great Boxers, Wild West, Fred Tomaselli, Mr. Mustart, Imok, and Sokem.
Bitter is right! The city’s temperature has been below freezing every day this week, and the sentiments coming out of the new White House appear to be bitterly subzero. We will be looking for artists to respond to the raft of new declarations, announcements, and aspirations spread across the political landscape. You can’t simply ban and deport everyone who you despise – it doesn’t work. When you see powerful people punching down with such hostility… – even a half-asleep school counselor with a coffee-stained clipboard would ask if everything is okay at home. The behavior on display this week might bring to mind something Grandma Arlene used to say when you were a mouthy teenager: ‘Maybe it’s time to take a good look in the mirror, mister!”
When it comes to graffiti and street art, we’ll keep an eye on the streets; In times of crisis and uncertainty, the artist’s voice emerges strongest, as adversity is the canvas on which creativity thrives.
Here’s our weekly conversation with the street, this week featuring City Kitty, Below Key, Huetek, Muebon, Rheo, Roachi, Such, Humble, Le Crue, Denis Ouch, Notic, Stu, Toney, Jay Diggz, EST, The Slasher, Soren, HELCH, Louie167, and Wanted.
New York is gearing up for a deep freeze from the weather and Donald Trump’s inauguration this weekend. With 100 Executive Orders reportedly queued up for him to sign, the forecast for the next four years includes ACA repeals, immigration crackdowns, Medicaid cuts, trade wars, inflation spikes, elimination of laws that corporations find restrictive, and civil rights rollbacks. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the timing feels bitterly ironic. But hey, maybe it’ll be sunshine and puppies, and everyone who is worried is just overreacting. “Poorer Voters Flocked to Trump,” said the Financial Times, so perhaps those petrified of the next four years are misreading the situation.
Regardless of the outcome over the coming years, we’ll be tracking the creative spirit on the street, and we are thankful for your support, as always.
Meanwhile, the polar vortex is set to bring approximately six inches of snow to New York City, followed by dangerously low temperatures with wind chills making it feel like -15°F. Interestingly, some graffiti writers will tell you that is the best time to get up on walls, because nobody is watching, but then perhaps you might lose feelings in your toes and fingers because of the cold?
The West Chelsea Arts Building in Manhattan, a longtime hub for artists and galleries, is on the market for $170 million, raising concerns about potential rent hikes or evictions for its 200 tenants. Over the years, notable artists like Ross Bleckner, Louise Fishman, and Hiroshi Sugimoto have called it home. Affordable studio space is essential to New York’s creative identity, yet rising costs make it increasingly difficult for emerging artists to thrive here. Imagine if the City prioritized supporting artist spaces instead of leaving culture at the mercy of the real estate market.
Here’s our weekly conversation with the street, this week featuring Stikman, Homesick, ERRE, Cody James, Hops Art, BK Ackler, Denis Ouch, Jenna Morello, WGE, QUES, Real Wrek, Kyle, AKSone, and 974MC.
Welcome to Images of the Week. Our hearts are heavy as we think about our brothers and sisters in Los Angeles—their losses, pain, and fears. We’re deeply grateful to the firefighters and communities who are stepping up and looking out for one another. The bond between the graffiti and street art communities in LA and NY runs deep, and hearing some of the stories coming out of this disaster is heartbreaking.
If you can help, please consider these reputable organizations:
Before donating items or volunteering, it’s advisable to contact these organizations directly to understand their current needs and ensure your contributions are most effective. Thank you.
Here’s our weekly conversation with the street, this week featuring Judith Supine, Rambo, Degrupo, Werds, Seoul, Hektad, Appleton Pictures, EXR, One Rad Latina, Notice, TABBY, Caryn Cast, Cram, Ratch, GRIDER, Zooter, Arsenio Baca, Zwoner, and Nice Beats.
Only the richest, most aromatic coffee seems to linger in the breezes of Miami, where even winter days can carry a tropical heat that halts you in your tracks. Street art and graffiti flourish like a teenager’s restless energy, leaping unpredictably from block to block, wall to wall, driven by possibility and the city’s desire to reinvent itself. Just when you think Wynwood may have run its course, new work emerges, reminding us that the creative pulse is alive and insistent. When it comes to street art and graffiti it all starts with the artists – and the economic/social underpinnings of a city. Here are some recent highlights from this hub of creativity and inspiration.
Flags are at half-staff for former President Carter, with a national funeral service scheduled at the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday. Meanwhile, former/future President Trump is set to attend his sentencing on Friday following a criminal conviction related to hush money payments. You may not find a more stark contrast between presidents. While speculation surrounds the sentencing outcome, it is widely thought that Trump will not serve any time behind bars, a fine message to young people everywhere.
In Brooklyn, the temperature is hovering around freezing, with biting winds signaling the arrival of harsher weather across this part of the country. Few expect much new street art or graffiti this week as forecasts predict bitter cold and snow along the coast.
Here’s our weekly conversation with the street, this week in New York and Miami, featuring Homesick, Degrupo, Pez, Denis Ouch, Great Boxers, Atomiko, Morcky, Elena Ohlander, Face, Masnah, SKE, Rich Ayers, Gleibys, Genius, JEST, Tesoe, Extra Polo, Lino Ozon, Maestro, Spray Paint Arts, and Emerge 710.
In New York and Miami and across the U.S., stories of legitimate struggles with the healthcare system are a constant backdrop to everyday life. Someone you met can’t afford insurance. Someone else is battling their insurer to approve a critical procedure. Surprise medical bills arrive for your girlfriend without warning. Your coworker avoids the doctor altogether because the costs are prohibitive. Teachers face medical bankruptcy, parents delay surgeries, and families turn to GoFundMe campaigns to defray crippling medical costs not covered. Meanwhile, seniors ration medication, cutting pills in half to make them last. It’s a system where multi-billion-dollar corporations, shielded by their (paid) influence over government, operate with impunity, leaving the sick ill-equipped to challenge them.
This backdrop of frustration likely fueled the sharp sarcasm and bitterness that erupted in conversations on social media and on the street after the UnitedHealthcare CEO was shot and killed on a Manhattan sidewalk this week. A young man in a hoodie fled the scene on a bicycle. Hundreds, no, thousands of responses on platforms like Twitter included jabs such as, “My empathy is out of network” and “Thoughts and prior authorizations.” UnitedHealthcare’s Facebook page was inundated with thousands of comments mocking the company’s public statement of sorrow. Many appeared to post pictures of family members or rejection notices they received from United Healthcare, their addresses blacked out.
To be clear, ‘denial of care’ is not just a business or policy practice; it is a systematic design rooted in contempt for people. These practices profoundly impact millions of people, possibly you and your family.
Now, five days later, the FBI joined the NYPD search for the suspect, who is believed to have left New York. Yet in laundromats, bars, and online forums, some people quietly invoke phrases like “snitches get stitches,” a colloquialism from hip-hop culture discouraging cooperation with law enforcement.
Critics in the media have rightly denounced the ethics of vigilante justice. At its core, vigilantism threatens to unravel societal order. Yet, so does a society that lets a profit-driven industry determine which sick lives are worth saving. The bitter truth is that for many, the system already feels unraveled.
Miami, we love you. This week was great at Wynwood Walls and Museum of Graffiti, and in the streets of Wynwood. The new STRAAT Catalogue is shipping on Christmas – and our Editor in Chief is one of the authors along with great folks like Carlo McCormick, Christian Omodeo, and Charlotte Pyatt. Most importantly, we cannot tell you how much we enjoyed meeting BSA readers and receiving your feedback and support. There are so many talented, creative, brilliant minds on this trip, and we like meeting each and every one. Don’t be shy! Thank you sincerely.
Shout out to our hosts at MOG Alan Ket and Allison Frieden, to David Roos from STRAAT, and to artists Nina Falkhoff, and HOXXOH.
Here’s our weekly conversation with the street, this week in New York and Miami, featuring: Retna, Adele Renault, Inkie, Werds, Pez, Astro, HOXXOH, Zimer, Kern, 1457 Wave, Juju the Frog, Trek86, Ishmael Book Art, Shey Lunatic, KTAN086, Code-E, and Z. Veiz.
December has arrived, and with it, a fresh blanket of snow setting the holiday scene up north—perfect for some, but for us, it’s a sign to head south. Art Basel Miami Beach is calling, and the Wynwood District is already buzzing with street artists and weird, wired, and abundant creative energy. It’s shaping up to be another epic graffiti/street art family reunion.
If you’re in Miami, come say hi! We’ll be at the Museum of Graffiti on Tuesday for the launch of the new STRAAT Museum catalog straight out of Amsterdam. Joining us are the directors of both museums and artists from the STRAAT collection—including one repping Miami. It’s a rare honor to be among the creators, archivists, and storytellers who are not just making art but protecting its legacy.
As we introduce these two vibrant young museums to one another, we can’t help but feel excited about the collaborations and connections that might emerge. See you there!
Here’s our weekly conversation with the street, this week in New York and Berlin, featuring: Miki Mu, CMYK Dots, Fruity, AERA, CAZL, How to Kill a Graffiti, EIG!, Quo Vadis Art, BEAT, AMIR, Matthias Gephart, Mr. Ent, Andres Reventolv, Lucille, and Ordinario.
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BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
