NYC's War on Graffiti

January 25, 2023

Good morning. 🌧️ No matter what art world recognition and commercial success graffiti gets, it never seems to win the respect of New York City officials. Last Friday, the city completely whitewashed a graffiti landmark in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood, upsetting residents who were never consulted on the matter. For decades, the city has waged a Sisyphean war against graffiti artists who love nothing more than a good challenge.

Also today, we bring you highlights from the Sundance Film Festival, details about artist Shahzia Sikander’s public art commission at New York's Madison Square Park, rare images of pre-war Hiroshima, and much more.

— Hakim Bishara, Senior Editor

An Afternoon in the Park With Shahzia Sikander’s Golden Monuments

The artist’s three-part commission at Madison Square Park includes a mythical female figure atop the Manhattan Appellate Courthouse. | Rhea Nayyar

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WHAT'S HAPPENING

Left:The tunnel in December 2022, a little over a month before it was painted (photo by and courtesy Eric K. Washington); Right:The newly-painted tunnel (photo by and courtesy Molly Hein)

NYC’s Department of Transportation has completely whitewashed the graffiti tunnel of Washington Heights’s 191st Street subway station.

Creative Capital has announced the grantees of this year’s “Wild Futures: Art, Culture, Impact” awards.

Applications are now open for Creative Recovery LA, a new initiative focused on arts organizations hardest hit by the pandemic.

A judge dismisses a Brazilian collector’s lawsuit against the Detroit Institute of Art over a recently exhibited Van Gogh painting he claims is his.

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Push Boundaries With MFA and MA Programs at the University at Buffalo

Fully-funded teaching assistantships are standard for MFA students at the top-ranked, flagship research university in the state of New York. Learn more.

FROM OUR CRITICS

What Was Hiroshima Like Before the Atom Bomb?

Wakaji Matsumoto's photographs provide a glimpse of a world in the midst of transition into the next stage of global capitalism and Westernization. | AX Mina

This Exhibition Claims That “All Art Is Virtual”

But is it, really? | Jordan Eddy

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Stages Presents ROE With an Elevated Sense of Purpose

The Houston-based, mission-driven theater company showcases Lisa Loomer’s 2016 play as a reminder that the fight over reproductive rights is not over. Learn more.

MORE ON HYPERALLERGIC

What to See in This Year’s Sundance Film Festival

In myriad ways, coming as it does in January, Sundance sets the stage for US cinema through the rest of the year. | Dan Schindel

How Sepideh Moafi’s Golden Globe Dress Honors Iran’s Protest Art

Artist Milad Ahmadi hand-painted the vinyl red poppy flower to commemorate the lives lost since the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini. | Mandy Taheri

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