516 Arts

STREET TEXT is a two-part exhibition examining Street Art and its evolution into a world-wide cultural movement, presented at 516 ARTS from Oct. 2 - Dec. 11, 2010. Art From the Coasts, curated by Andrew Connors, Curator of Art at The Albuquerque Museum, compares masters of graffiti art from New York and Los Angeles, including the work Chaz Bojórquez, Gajin Fujita, Lee Quinones and Lady Pink, as well as the documentary photography of Henry Chalfant. The exhibition explores these two different genres of graffiti art in America within the context and history of Hip Hop Art and Culture. It focuses on educating audiences about this highly developed international art form in contrast to tagging and vandalism. The exhibition catalog includes essays by Andrew Connors and scholar/documentarian Henry Chalfant.The Populist Phenomenon, curated by Francesca Searer of 516 ARTS, includes a mix of local, national and international artists, and examines the artists’ work as a means of expressing a message to the masses. It also explores how street artists are affected when their work moves into the realm of galleries, museums and public art. Work will include on and off-site installations, photographic documentation, portable representations of wheat-paste, stencil and canvas work methods and video clips and films of street artists in action.
The STREET TEXT exhibition is the center of a city-wide series of events titled
STREET ARTS: A Celebration of Hip Hop Culture & Free Expression. The multi-layered collaboration during October and November 2010 is presented by 516 ARTS in partnership with ACLU-NM and local arts organizations. The project celebrates art in the urban environment and explores issues of free expression. Activities include performing and literary arts events, tours of street arts projects, talks, workshops, a Spoken Word Festival and a Hip Hop Film Festival. Partnering organizations include The City of Albuquerque Public Art Program, The Albuquerque Museum, ABQ-Ride, The Cell Theatre, Church of Beethoven, Creative Albuquerque, Downtown Action Team and Downtown Arts & Cultural District, The Guild Cinema, KiMo Theatre, National Hispanic Cultural Center, North 4th Art Center, the Outpost Performance Space, Warehouse 508 and Working Classroom. 516 ARTS will publish a complete guide to the Street Arts celebration.