From the streets to art galleries: New NYC exhibit celebrates graffiti as art
How NYC graffiti became a global art phenomenon
Explore the history of NYC graffiti with the new "Above Ground" exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York. Featuring works by iconic artists like Keith Haring, Lady Pink, and Chris ‘Daze’ Ellis, the exhibition traces graffiti’s journey from subway trains to global galleries. FOX 5's Arthur Chi'en takes you inside the exhibit, which runs through August 2025.
NEW YORK - Graffiti, once an underground movement in the '70s and '80s, has now moved above ground.
In fact, "Above Ground" is the name of the new exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York, showcasing hundreds of works from iconic artists like Keith Haring, Chris "Daze" Ellis, and Lady Pink.
Sean Corcoran, curator of the Museum of the City of New York, explains, "It tells the story of art from the streets and the story of how a number of artists who painted on streets and on trains left the streets and became fine artists."
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 11: A graffiti wall made by the Tats Cru and Lday Pink is seen during the Hip Hop 50th Birthday Jam By Universal Hip Hop Museum at Mill Pond Park on August 11, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Richard Bord/Getty Images)
These artists, once confined to the streets, would eventually become globally recognized. But the transformation was made possible by a different kind of artist—Martin Wong. While not a graffiti artist himself, Wong was a painter who worked at Pearl Paint on Canal Street in the '80s, where he sold canvases. Through his bond with these street artists, he began collecting their work and offering encouragement.
One of those artists was Chris "Daze" Ellis, a Crown Heights native, who reflects, "Part of his legacy that he leaves behind is that when you visit an exhibition like this, you're kind of looking at a time capsule for a part of New York history that no longer exists."
As European collectors began buying up graffiti art and sending it overseas, Wong was determined to keep his collection in New York, its home city. He donated his extensive collection to the Museum of the City of New York, a collection so vast that only about a third of it is on display, through August of next year.
NEW YORK - AUGUST 07: graffiti artist Slone paints at the Five Pointz graffiti art center August 7, 2010 in the Long Island City neighborhood of the Queens Borough of New York City. The building's owner allows graffiti artists to paint the walls at F
For years, the debate around graffiti focused on whether it was vandalism or art. That question has been answered. As Corcoran notes, "These really are largely self-taught artists who were motivated and knew what they wanted to do and who they wanted to be, and they took their craft seriously and applied the ambition."
Daze adds, "Talent is one element, but having a great work ethic and being able to sort of speak to people and connect with people is another real talent that's often underestimated."
The exhibit serves as a testament to the power of hard work and vision—a legacy made possible by Wong’s dedication to elevating other artists.