In solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, the Museum of Graffiti will open a new exhibition titled The Fabric of America: Artists in Protest. Over 30 South Florida graffiti artists and illustrators were invited to create protest themed art on denim jackets in the tradition of the protest signs seen at marches.
“Providing a platform for artists to contribute to the national discussion is important to the Museum and a way for local artists to join the conversation,” states the Museum’s curator Alan Ket, he adds, “These artists work in the streets but we have invited them indoors to engage in a dialogue of resistance with our audience.”
“These wearable artworks articulate what you believe in at all times, without you having to say a word” said Allison Freidin, co-founder of the Museum of Graffiti.
Included in the show will be an audio/visual installation that counts down to 0 from 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the time a Minneapolis police officer had his knee on George Floyd’s neck and video works by Chintz and Alan Ket.
Internationally recognized artists Futura 2000, Tristan Eaton, and Cey Adams will contribute new posters and prints that are in line with their staunch dissatisfaction with what has become our country’s status quo.
The new exhibit ties in with the recently created large-scale mural titled AMERICAN HISTORY on the walls of two adjacent buildings at NW 25th Street and 3rd Avenue. Focusing on the Black experience in US history starting in the early 1800s through current day, the giant mural, curated by the Museum of Graffiti, tackles the subjects of police brutality, racial injustice, and resistance.
The local artists taking part in the exhibit include: Chillski, Crome, Tackz, Disem, Ahol Sniffs Glue, Cash4, Rasterms, Klass, Cyst, Grab, Tragek, Delvs, Quake, Ticoe, View2, Chnk, Jel Martinez, Etone, Rage, Krave, June, Keds, Junk, Meta4, Drums Brown, Santiago Rubino, Cale K2S, Ruth, Faves, Blackbrain, Emerald, and Tierra Armstrong.
The exhibition also presents the photographic works of Pablo Allison, a human rights worker and documentarian who since 2017, has been following the migrant trail from Central America to the USA. Each photograph depicts powerful instances of protest graffiti that Allison captured on the trains used by migrants to escape inhumane conditions.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit Empowered Youth, a Miami based not-for-profit dedicated to enhancing the lives of inner-city, at-risk youth. Their programs teach career skills that help to eradicate poverty and violence. They serve young men between the ages of 12-21, most of whom have been referred by the Department of Juvenile Justice.
The Museum of Graffiti is open to the public with safety-first procedures, including an admission system that only allows for 6 people to enter the premises every 15 minutes. Guests must purchase tickets in advance online or from their mobile devices as they approach the Museum in order to avoid on-site transactions.
TICKETS & HOURS
General Admission tickets are $16, Children 13 and under are free. Tickets are available online and include access to all museum exhibitions.
The Museum of Graffiti is open from 11 AM – 5 PM on Wednesdays through Mondays and it is closed on Tuesdays. Please check www.museumofgraffiti.com for special holidays, extended hours and unexpected closings.
