At the intersection of 106th Street and Park Avenue in East Harlem, there's a wall covered in graffiti. But this isn't anything like the ubiquitous spray paint tags around the city. Instead, this incredible art is museum-quality work. The wall is officially called the Grafitti Hall of Fame, and this weekend, its organizers are throwing two days of special events to celebrate the artform.
The festival, on Saturday, August 24, and Sunday, August 25, includes vibrant graffiti, street art, dance battles, guest DJs and MCs, and hip-hop. Events run from noon to 9pm each day with a street re-naming celebration at 3pm on Saturday.
You'll get to see talented grafitti artists transform blank walls into their canvases, leaving a beautiful mark on the city. Artists include Skeme TMT, Part One TDS, Delta, TATS CRU, Nicer, Blaze ZNC, Cortez, Kelo, Disem, and many more.
Tickets range from $12 for a single-day pass to $40 for a two-day pass plus a commemorative book.
The Graffiti Hall of Fame dates back several decades. It began as a local meet up for graffiti writers from around the city as a place to hang out anjd exchange tales of subway painting expeditions. "The walls of the playground served as a vandal's safe haven to practice and test new skills, exchange information, forge relationships, settle beefs or develop crew alliances," leaders said.
Looking to formally establish this place where graffiti artists could hone their craft in a safe space, Harlem community leader Ray "Sting Ray" Rodriguez dubbed the concrete walls of the now Jackie Robinson Educational Complex’s schoolyard the Graffiti Hall of Fame, and it has been attracting some of the best street artists in the world for more than 30 years.