Street Art

Developed by Tie Jojima, Art History, Baruch College, CUNY

This is an in-class activity that asks students to reflect on street art considering perspectives of different stakeholders. The activity will initially look like a debate, but instead of a debate (in which students need to defend one single perspective), the students in the end will be asked to think about multiple perspectives.

Learning Goals

After completion of this assignment, students will be able to:

• Engage in critical discussions of public art and articulate different positions on street art;
• Think critically about cultural production created outside of institutional spaces;
• Evaluate their preconceptions on street art and be more aware of this practice and its implications.

• PBS art assignment video “Art Murals”
• NYT debate: When does graffiti become art?

Activity

• Ask students to read the NYT article and watch the video before coming to class.
• Separate the class in two groups: group 1 will argue in favor of street art; and group 2 will argue against street art.
• Ask students to discuss the article and video within their groups and to think about major arguments. They should take into consideration the materials provided as well as from their own experiences in the city (or any city).
• Each group will receive a large sheet of paper (or if you are in a classroom with a blackboard, you could divide the blackboard in 2) on which they will list the main points discussed.
• Once the paper or blackboard is complete, shift the groups: Group 1 that initially argued for street art will receive the sheet with Group 2’s arguments against street art; and vice-versa.
• Both groups now will read the arguments created by the opposite group. The activity now will consist on adding/complementing the sheet of the opposite group with even more arguments.