“Wall Writers: Graffiti In Its Innocence” about to open with its own exhibit at MCA Denver this Saturday, February 11th. The museum says, “The exhibition includes an impressive array of materials and documentation that celebrate the early roots of pioneering street artists. High school notebooks of the artists, the first canvases painted, spray paint advertisements, commercial greeting cards, as well as richly documented images of buildings completely covered in spray-painted monikers reveal the context of this early movement. Tracing the origins of graffiti, the exhibition also presents the slow transition from art of the street to fine art, including some examples by established artists such as Gordon Matta-Clark and the photographer Jon Naar. Wall Writers also highlights some of the most prolific writers of the time, including TAKI 183 (who wrote in New York City) and Cornbread (who was in Philadelphia). The exhibition as a whole stands as an important historical narrative about the origins of one of the most prolific art movements of the twentieth century.” For more information visit the exhibition website here.
The comprehensively-researched exhibition will run from February 11th to May 7th, 2017, but you can get an early taste at the museum’s Winter Opening Celebration this Friday, February 10th. A celebration of all of their new winter exhibits, including an exhibition on Basquiat and another on Ryan McGinley as well as the Wall Writers show, the event will run from 7:30 pm to midnight and features a “downtown” dress code. If you’re interested in attending you can find ticket information here, but hurry; VIP tickets for the event are already sold out!