Graffiti Alley | Discover Ann Arbor
In an unassuming corner in downtown Ann Arbor, there is a work of art tucked away in a mundane alleyway. Off of East Liberty Street, down an alley next to the Michigan Theater, numerous artists have collaborated to create a wall to wall graffiti masterpiece. Graffiti Alley, as it’s known to locals, has been a mainstay of Ann Arbor street art for the past 20 years. While Graffiti Alley is now a hub for all artists to explore their creativity, it wasn’t always this way.
Graffiti Alley History
During the years leading up to the creation of Graffiti Alley, this area of Ann Arbor was widely considered to be ‘undesirable’ to the general public. In some sort of attempt to increase the appeal of this area to the masses, in 1999 the city of Ann Arbor commissioned the original mural in Graffiti Alley to ‘beautify’ the space. Artist Katherine Cost’s original piece, Infinite, took 5 months to complete and covered over 5,000 square feet of alleyway.
Infinite featured beautiful columns and archways with flowers sprouting amongst the architectural pieces. The mural was beautiful, yet it didn’t quite capture the uniqueness of the culture and overall art scene that had been previously established in the area. The art community had been thriving here long before the mural was ever commissioned. Within a few months this ultimately lead to local graffiti artists ‘defacing’ the mural and quickly painting over the original art piece.
While it may have simply started off as petty vandalism, after the first instance of graffiti the alley soon became covered in graffiti. As the original mural slowly became covered by ever increasing amounts of graffiti, the East Liberty Street alleyway began to take on a life of its’ own.
Graffiti Alley Today
After the first spray, Graffiti Alley became a living piece of art. Curated by the people of Ann Arbor, the alley reflects the inner heart, soul, and spirit of Ann Arbor. In this entirely unique space, the graffiti is able to ebb and flow with the changing atmosphere of the area. In an ever-changing social landscape, Graffiti Alley is a sanctuary for artists to explore their creativity and express their individual perspective. Stories that otherwise may not have been told have found a way to reach new audiences. The experiences of the city’s most marginalized and overlooked populations are able to dictate their own narrative, with their own art in a space that truly belongs to the people of Ann Arbor.
It’s difficult to be able to visualize the impact that art has on the surrounding communities. However, Graffiti Alley is able to accomplish this just by merely existing. The new graffiti art from these artists intertwines beautifully with the old graffiti and the remnants of the original mural. This mixture of old and new artwork tells the complex, interwoven stories of the people of Ann Arbor. Just as Graffiti Alley incorporates the new and the old, so does the city of Ann Arbor itself.
Graffiti Alley Inspired Polish
Take a little piece of Ann Arbor and Graffiti Alley home with you with the Ann Ardor nail polish! This vegan, cruelty-free and toxin-free nail polish is a stunning bright pink cream, inspired by the colorful art found in Ann Arbor.
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