Denver Art Society

VIDEO: Denver Holds Summit on Graffiti

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No one likes bad graffiti. Business owners have a right to be upset when someone tags our buildings and devalues our assets!

However, as with any unrestrained expression of artistic creativity, we must carefully measure the (often stupid) measures we take and tax dollars we spend fighting such non-commercial activity. After all, when big businesses decide to “clean up” the work that the general public freely paints on dumpsters and abandoned buildings (with no incentive of profit or chance of economic gain), we ought to carefully weigh whose side we take.

Despite the fact that the video makes no attack on graffiti artists, here is a small defense against public art being displayed around Denver. Yes there are many many MANY ugly tags. But if the price of being surrounded with beautiful free art is, well, being surrounded with ugly free art too, perhaps it is worth putting that money into something more prudent — perhaps schools.

…perhaps our underfunded art schools…

Here is the link to the Denver Partners Against Graffiti. Here are a few pieces of Denver Graffiti we rather like: