Graffiti artists can put their mark on community beauty, and paint over vandalism at the same time.
The Community Arts Council (CAC) encourages art, not defacing property, so what are they doing hosting a workshop called "Tagging Is Just a Waste of Good Paint" hosted by an experienced graffiti painter? They are actually countering vandalism and supporting an exciting form of visual art, according to organizers.
"What we are doing is taking people who are interested in graffiti art and put them in touch with a master, give them some parameters and skills, and channel that into a true art form," said CAC executive director Wendy Young. "We are not reaching for participants who have done vandalism in the past. We want to create ambassadors who will hopefully go out into their youth circles and spread this idea, and be leaders in this really fun form of painting."
Most communities have examples aplenty of the wrong kind of graffiti, the unauthorized splatter known as tagging. It happens on back fences, institutional walls, unguarded civic facilities, under bridges and on bus shelters. It costs landowners and taxpayers thousands of dollars, aggravates the public, hurts the feelings of innocent viewers and sometimes incites darker feelings.
The Community Policing Centre plans to attend the CAC information session because it so closely fits with the anti-vandalism work they have been involved with for years. Staff there know well that the vivid colours and zesty images are fun to look at, in the correct place.
"It is vitally important that artistic talents are used, and in a positive way," said Community Policing's Diane Sears. "Making a beautiful community means the tagging is halted and that artwork gets done in a positive way that helps everyone. If somebody is putting their marks on a wall that does not belong to them, that is vandalism, it is a criminal activity, no matter what it is they paint there."
Some graffiti is infantile scrawl, some is clumsy hate symbols or petty slogans, but some is stunning in its use of colour and emotional depth. Regardless of its place on the talent scale, it is almost always done in stealth and haste by youths using spray-cans.
The CAC is proposing that walls be offered by private landowners and from the public sector so those who want to spray for art's sake, not destruction's sake, can do so with permission.
Young said they are leading by example by offering up a storage building on their property for the legitimate graffitos to spray on.
"We hope that will inspire others who have walls that could be beautified to come forward," she said. "The CAC is dipping their toe in this pond because this is a recognized art form, and it is particularly so for youth. We want to engage youth in a positive and progressive artistic format. Our youth is our future within the entire community. They also represent our future art."
According to the tested principles of the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design program, an initiative fostered by Community Policing, the bad stuff has to be covered over immediately.
"If they [vandals] find a canvass nobody cares about, they will go to that over and over again," said Sears, but the good stuff is socially appreciated and gets left alone by even the vandals. That is the thinking behind murals painted on the sides of Tokyo Restaurant and Groop Gallery, both painted by local artist Milan Basic. Basic will be the leader of the workshop for the up and coming legitimate graffitos.
The session will be held Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Studio 2880 where the CAC is headquartered. It is free of charge and open to all local youth.
For more information contact Young 250-562-4526.
