Street Artists

SacSix Brings #ArtClinicNYC to Manhattan’s Lower East Side

April 28, 2020

On March 26, 2020 the #ArtClinicNYC opened its front window on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Eager to find out more about this essential art resource, I posed several questions to SacSix, the artist who had conceived and launched it.

What is the mission of the Art Clinic? What motivated you to launch it?

At the beginning of the global quarantine — as businesses, schools and restaurants were required to shut down — I began to think about what makes something “essential.” Liquor stores, gun shops, marijuana dispensaries and even golf courses in some states are deemed “essential.” But what about art resources for kids? Art is essential to life. We need art to survive. And the Art Clinic’s mission is to provide necessary materials to kids to create art. The Art Clinic provides FREE coloring packs and crayons to each family member.

How were you able to access the storefront?

The storefront is actually my studio. I gained access to it in mid-January.

It’s great that you had the space. And what about some of the challenges in seeing this project through?

The initial challenge was finding a place to print 1000 pages. All of the local print shops were closed. Through a connection at the Cheese Grille, I found a printer in Queens that was still open.

How did you source the materials — from crayons to coloring pages?

Over 75 global artists contributed to the project. I first started reaching out to my NYC street artist friends for the coloring page designs. Then I began expanding my network to artists throughout the country. After seeing my posts on Instagram in reference to this project, many more artists reached out, eager to be part of it.

And what about the crayons?

I personally funded the 500 packs of crayons and the cost of printing. Six-page packs are taped to the front window of the #ArtClinicNYC. Instructions prompt passersby to just pull the items off the window.

How has the response been to your venture?

The response has been great. I see it in people’s smiles — people of every age, sex and race. That’s why I do it. I try to snag photos of people, from the inside, as they pull off the coloring packs and crayons. Their smiles and excitement are so genuine.

Congratulations on this venture! It is wonderful!

Featured pages:

Image 2: Fumero, JPO, Con$umr, Pure Genius, Chris RWK, BK Foxx, Savior Elmundo, SacSix, Crash, Al Diaz and Sandra Chevrier

Image 3: RX Skulls

Image 4: Danielle Mastrion

Image 5: Dirt Cobain

Image 6: Dr Scott

Photo credits: 1, 3, 5, 7 & 8 Ana Candelaria; 2, 4 & 6 courtesy SacSix

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Street Artists Across the Globe Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Part lll: Alessio-B, James Colomina, Sara Erenthal, Tag Street Art, Sean Lugo, Bane & Pest and Nazza Stencil Art

April 24, 2020

COVID-19, the global pandemic that has impacted so many of our lives, has prompted responses from visual artists — both on the streets and in their personal spaces. The image pictured above was painted by the Italian artist, Alessio-B. Several more images — stirred by the current crisis — follow:

Toulouse-based sculptor James Colomina in Switzerland

Multi-disciplinary artist Sara Erenthal — from her Brooklyn apartment

Tag Street Art in Tel Aviv

Philadelphia-based Sean Lugo

Switzerland-based duo Bane and Pest on canvas

Argentina-based Nazza Stencil Art, Portrait of “the fight against Coronavirus,” based on photo by Milan-based photographer Flavio Lo Scalzo

All images courtesy of the artists

Keep posted to Street Art NYC for Part IV of COVID-19-related images — including several by local artists and news of some of the ventures they have launched.

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Four Corners Public Arts Project in Newark, NJ with: Manuel Acevedo, Gera Luz, Layqa Nuna Yawar, Kelley Prevard, Rorshach Art Collective, Armisey Smith, Jo-el Lopez, Sue Daly, Gabe Ribeiro & More

April 14, 2020

Named for the historical Downtown Newark district in which the mural project is located, the Four Corners Public Arts initiative has brought over a dozen alluring murals to Treat Place and Beaver Street in Downtown Newark — a short work from Newark Penn Station. Referencing the neighborhood and its distinct history, the artworks were conceived and painted largely by local artists.

The mural featured above, a tribute to the late neighborhood legend, Jerry Gant a.k.a 2 Nasty Nas, was painted by Newark-native Manuel Acevedo. Several more murals sponsored by Four Corners Public Arts — an ongoing collaboration between the City via Invest Newark, the Newark Downtown District (NDD), Newark Arts and local property owners RBH Group and Paramount Assets — follow:

Newark-raised, Brooklyn-based Gera Luz, Sacred Water

Layqa Nuna Yawar and Kelley Prevard in collaboration with A Womb of Violet — a Newark-based Black women’s artist collective –, “Magnitude and Bond”

The Rorshach Art Collective — Newark natives Andre Leon and Robert Ramone, –“Radiance”

Brooklyn-based Armisey Smith, “The Natural World of the Lenape,” to the left of Puerto Rico-born, Paterson-raised Jo-el Lopez, “The Guardian of the City”

Atlantic City-based Sue Daly in collaboration with The Barat Foundation, “Sewing a Path to Freedom“

Newark-based Gabe Ribeiro, “Newark Is for Artists”

Photo credits: 1, 2, 5 & 7 Rachel Fawn Phillips; 3, 4 & 6 Lois Stavsky

Special thanks to R achel Fawn Phillips for introducing me to this project.

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NYC Street Artists Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Part ll: Gongkan, Sara Erenthal, Michael Alan, Adrian Wilson, Early Riser & Ed Heck

April 8, 2020

Whether working in their studios or on the streets, NYC artists — like so many artists throughout the globe — continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The image featured above was fashioned by the superbly talented New York City/Bangkok-based artist Gongkan. Several more images created by NYC-based artists in response to the COVID-19 pandemic follow:

Sara Erenthal, Masked Feelings, Unmasked

Michael Alan, Uplifting the World

Adrian Wilson, A virtual urban intervention

Early Riser, Strong but Scared — with Jason Naylor on upper right

Ed Heck, Keeping Safe…Apart

Photo credits: 1-4 courtesy of the artists; 5-7 Ana Candelaria

Note: Be sure to check out WashYourHands.art, a fabulous Online Exclusive Group Exhibition — presented by Woodward Gallery — in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

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“Uptown Counts: Art as Activism” with Marthalicia, Danielle Mastrion, Lady K Fever, The Royal King Bee, MED, Al Diaz & More

April 2, 2020

Organized by Ayana Ayo and coordinated by Kathleena Howie aka Lady K-Fever, Uptown Counts: Art as Activism is an exhibition of artworks by over 20 artists who lent their works to a range of uptown spaces to draw attention to the importance of the 2020 Census, particularly in East Harlem.

The number of East Harlem residents who respond to the 2020 Census will determine how much of the $675 billion in federal dollars the community will receive over the next 10 years — funding essential to schools, housing, healthcare, infrastructure and food assistance. Yet, only 40 percent of East Harlem residents are predicted to respond to the 2020 Census.

Among the artists featured in the exhibit are several who also use the streets as their canvas. The image above, “Mother and Child,” painted by East Harlem-resident Marthalicia Matarrita, has found a temporary home at the legendary Sylvia’s Restaurant. A small sampling of images — featured in Uptown Counts: Art as Activism — by artists whose works also surface in public spaces follows:

Danielle Mastrion, Offering — at Harlem Yoga Studio

Lady K-Fever, Justice at Last — at Sisters Caribbean Cuisine

Royal KingBee, BEE Cautious

MED, Resist

Al Diaz, Flowers Will No Longer Grow…

Because of the pandemic, the spaces hosting the artwork are largely inaccessible for the next several weeks. But you can check out the entire exhibit — sponsored by the nonprofit organization Uptown Grand Central — online here.

And — now — be sure to take the 2020 Census! It is a political and social justice issue. You can do it online, by phone (844-330-2020) or by mail.

Images and info for this post courtesy exhibition coordinator, Kathleena Howie aka Lady K-Fever

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Speaking With the NYC-Based Multidisciplinary Artist Savior Elmundo

March 30, 2020

The following post is by Street Art NYC contributor Ana Candelaria

An artist, curator, dancer and filmmaker, NYC native Savior Elmundo has long been a huge force in the urban art scene. Recently, I had the opportunity to find out a bit more about him.

When and where did you start tagging?

I was fifteen years old when I started. I grew up on the Upper West Side. My tag was REIN. It stands for Ruler – Equality – I – Now. My partner and I tagged and bombed everywhere — Harlem, the Heights, Queens and Brooklyn.

Were you down with any crews?

Yes. My mother moved us to Woodside, Queens. She thought a change of environment would be good for me. But it actually made things worse. I joined a graffiti crew in Queens, and I’d sneak down the fire escape at three o’clock in the morning just to go bombing. Everyone at that time was pretty much down with a click or a group, and there were lots of them.

And then what happened? Did you stay in Queens?

No. I couldn’t take Queens for long. I traveled to Manhattan and hit the club scene. Downtown — Soho and the Village — became my new home as I began working as a professional dancer. Hip Hop was — and still is — a big part of my life. I wouldn’t have become a street artist or filmmaker if it wasn’t for dancing.

What led you into filmmaking?

I wanted to tap into something else. I didn’t want to be a dancer for the rest of my life. A friend convinced me to do a short film based on a story I had shared with him. Reflection was my first short film. It was accepted into several festivals including the NY Film Festival. I directed and produced five short films in total. Life was going great until one day, in the midst of preparing for my first feature film documentary, I received word that a family member had passed away. I picked up the brush and began to paint as a form of therapy. That’s when art took over my life.

When did you first come up with your particular logo “MAKE ART?”

Ten years ago — when I first stepped into the art scene. I wanted to get a message out there that would make people think. “MAKE ART” incorporates art, film, and dance. It also serves as a reminder for people to make art. It’s simple, and I write it in a distinct way so people know that it’s me. I sign all of my pieces with my name Savior Elmundo, “MAKE ART,” and the year.

Did any particular artists influenced you?

Icons such as Andy Warhol, Dali, Picasso, Frida and Matisse. Studying their work has helped me come up with my own style and ideas. For example, in one of my designs Dali and Picasso face each other wearing boxing gloves with my tag “MAKE ART” in the middle. Another one of my creations was inspired by an image of the boxer Muhammed Ali holding a draft notice from the army. I inserted a graphic design image of my tag “MAKE ART” on the document.

I consider myself a mixed-media artist. I like working with different things and I love texture. I do a lot of message work, but, lately, I find myself gravitating more towards my 3D art work. I’m also working on a couple of other styles that I will be releasing some time in the near future.

Are you generally satisfied with your work when you’re finished?

I’ve destroyed so many pieces, but I’ve learned not to do that anymore. One day, I painted a canvas and uploaded a picture of it onto my website. Two days later, a client contacted me to buy it, but I didn’t have it anymore. I had gone over it and created a different painting. That’s when I learned that my work is not for me; it’s for them.

Your work has been showcased in dozens of exhibitions in a range of spaces. Do any particular ones stand out?

The 21st Precinct, curated by Robert Aloia, was one memorable show! Each artist was given one room in the 21st Precinct building on East 22nd Street to showcase their work. The building, had three floors with about sixty rooms. I used an image from Rene Magritte’s, Son of Man, one of my favorite paintings, and turned it into one of my own images. I designed a man with a Goya can — instead of an apple — on his face standing in front of a stack of Goya cans. I covered the entire wall with a black and white wheatpaste of this design. As a Latino, Goya is a big part of my culture.

Another particularly memorable exhibit was at the World Trace Center. For that I did an installation using a door that I had found on the curb side as a tribute for 9/11 The door read “Always In Our Hearts 9/11” in 3D letters.

And my first solo show was in 2019. All of my work was displayed in 3D. The show was a reflection of the past thirty years of my life. The words displayed were key elements of my past. Since 2010, I’ve been in a total of 70 group shows. So many that are memorable!

How did you come up with the concept for Collage NYC, the hugely popular weekly live art event at The Delancey?

As soon as I started to make some money from selling art. I wanted to do something to give back. I wanted to build a home where artists could come together to create freely and inspire each other. I imagined a place where people could have a good time after a long, stressful day. I also wanted to bring back the paint parties that Basquait and Keith Haring used to participate in back in the 80s. The vibes are super chill! You can watch the artists paint; you can dance, or you can just lounge at the bar and have a drink. This year marked our 10th anniversary.

Have you words of wisdom that you’d like to share with up-and-coming artists?

Pay your dues and know the rules. Learn the process and put in the work. Don’t be late! Get your name out there. Learn how to talk about your art and how to sell yourself. Get out to every gallery in Soho and Chelsea on a Thursday night and just introduce yourself! You have to hustle to get what you want. Also, it’s very important to understand the history of art and respect it. Don’t be afraid to take things to the next level. That’s how I got my start as a curator.

What’s ahead?

A two-man show with my brother A.J. LaVilla. I’m really excited about it. I’m also working on a project with a corporate company that people will hear about. There are more solo shows in the pipeline and other creative ideas are brewing.

Good luck!

Interview conducted by Ana Candelaria and edited for conciseness by Lois Stavsky

Photo credits: 1 Ana Candelaria; 2 & 3 Courtesy of the artist; 4 Dani Reyes Mozeson; 5 Tara Murray & 6 Lois Stavsky

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NYC Street Artists Respond to the Coronavirus Pandemic: Jilly Ballistic, The Act of Love, crkshnk, Jason Naylor and Sara Erenthal

March 26, 2020

As the the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact all of our lives, it has, also, begun to make a presence on NYC streets. Pictured above is the work of Jilly Ballistic — who emerged from the underground to address us — in collaboration with Adrian Wilson. Several more images sparked by the current pandemic follow:

The Act of Love, as seen in Soho

crkshnk pasted in Freemans Alley

Jason Naylor on the Lower East Side

Sara Erenthal on a repurposed drawer in Flatbush, Brooklyn

Photo credits: 1 & 4 Ana Candelaria; 2 & 3 Lois Stavsky 5 Sara Erenthal

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At Underhill Walls With: Subway Doodle, Zero Productivity, Paolo Tolentino, Gotham Pro Arts Academy Students w/Jeff Beler, Jaima, Calicho, Marivel 333, Justin Winslow, Paulie Nassar & More

March 23, 2020

Curated and managed by Prospect Heights resident Jeff Beler, Underhill Walls, a model community-based mural art project, always delights. Earlier this month, while the streets were still somewhat occupied, I visited Underhill Walls‘ current installation, where over a dozen artists refashioned the covers of some of their favorite books. Featured above is the wonderfully talented Subway Doodle‘s rendition of Maurice Sendak’s classic, Where the Wild Things Are. Several more images that I captured follow:

Zero Productivity refashions A A Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh” with Paolo Tolentino‘s rendition of Sara Gruen’s “Water for Elephants” to its right

Gotham Pro Arts Academy students in collaboration with Jeff Beler with some additional assistance from Paulie Nassar

Jaima does Dr. Seuss’s “Horton Hears a Who!”

Colombian artist Calicho Arevalo designs the Herman Melville classic “Moby Dick”

Manhattan-based artist and art teacher Marivel Mejia does Arthur Laurents’ “West Side Story”

Justin Winslow does Armistead Maupin’s “Tales of the City”

And Paulie Nassar designs the Harper Lee classic “To Kill a Mockingbird”

Underhill Walls is located at the corner of St. Johns Place and Underhill Avenue in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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Speaking with NYC-Based Multidisciplinary Artist “My Life in Yellow”

March 19, 2020

Curious about the face behind the poetic, bright yellow stickers that have increasingly become part of NYC’s visual landscape, I was delighted to meet and speak to the beguiling My Life in Yellow.

We street art aficionados know you as My Life In Yellow. When was My Life in Yellow born?

It was born ten years ago as the name of my blog when I first moved to New York.

Why Yellow?

I was always drawn to the color yellow. It was my grandmother’s favorite color. And when I was in college, my room was blue, while the room next to mine was yellow. The girl who dormed there was always happy, had yellow accessories and always wore the color yellow. The yellow room was so much more inviting and cheerful than mine that I soon began to surround myself with the color yellow.

When did you start slapping your stickers up on the street and why?

Several years ago, I met Thomas OKOK Gunnarsson aka TagsAndThrows. He introduced me to the street art/graffiti world. We walked around the city together as he photographed graffiti. One year later his friend, AllYouSeeIsCrimeInTheCity, a street art photographer based in Sweden, came on a visit to New York City. She gave me my first sticker and encouraged me to write on it. I was going through a difficult break-up at the time, so I wrote “Tell Him How You Feel” on a postal sticker. She slapped it for me in Soho.

What inspired you to keep making stickers and getting them up?

I started getting really positive feedback. And it was a kind of therapy for me as I was going through difficult times. People started to reach out and say things like, “Now I know I’m not alone” and “Me too, omg — I feel this way.” I started to realize how similar we all are in our dark thoughts, what we don’t say out loud. That was the moment I felt, “This is what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Have you any particularly memorable street art experiences?

I spontaneously slapped a sticker on a bridge in Berlin. The sticker read. “Tell Him How You Feel.” A girl nearby noticed it and commented, “A lot of people jump off that bridge.” I hadn’t thought of that! Another time I slapped a sticker on the Manhattan Bridge that said, “It’ll Be Ok.” I did not realize until afterwards that I had slapped it on a suicide/help call box!

Who are some of your favorite sticker artists?

MQ and Token. I appreciate how consistent they are. I see their stickers everywhere!

Are you generally satisfied with your work?

Yes, I slap and I walk. And then when I revisit it, I feel like I’m visiting my child.

How has your street art evolved in the course of these these past five years?

Its intent and tone have stayed the same, but I also wheatpaste now. And I’ve painted directly onto walls–by myself and in collaboration with other artists.

What is your favorite piece that you’ve created?

That’s a tough one! “Once my lover, now my poem.” I find myself writing it a lot.

How long do you usually spend on each sticker?

It comes in spurts. I often write a whole bunch at one time. Sometimes it’s just spontaneous.

What percentage of your time is devoted to art?

Don’t tell my boss, but I think about it all the time.

Have you exhibited your work?

Yes! I’ve exhibited in several local spaces. When I first met Sac Six a few years back. he encouraged me get up on canvas. I still make little canvases — that look like my stickers — that I show and sell in exhibitions. I’ve also created works that don’t resemble my stickers at all. I was recently featured in the Phoenix Rising exhibit at the Gala on 129 Allen Street, where one of my pieces sold.

Where else have your stickers traveled, besides the streets here in NYC?

London, Paris, Trinidad, Sweden, Berlin, LA, Miami. All placers I’ve been to. I prefer to slap stickers myself. There’s something special about it. It’s nice when people offer to slap my stickers up in other places, but I don’t give them out.

You’ve also painted in sanctioned public projects. Do you prefer working legally or illegally?

There’s something magical about pasting stickers up. I like its randomness, but I also enjoy working legally.

How has your family responded to your work on the streets?

They’re entertained by it. My father exhibits his photography. My grandfather was an artist.

Did you ever study art in a formal setting?

No, I’m self taught. I have a BA in business and a degree in Fashion Design from Parsons.

What are some of your other interests?

Spoken word poetry. I’ve performed in various venues. And I recently curated an event to help raise money for the JED Foundation.

Where are you headed? Any recent projects?

I recently collaborated with street art photographer Ana Candelaria. Ana’s photos always make me so happy. I love how she captures my stickers out in the wild: weather-faded, slapped-over and scratched-off. I love her documentation of their deterioration. Her photos really speak to me and I’m looking forward to many more collaborations with Ana. I‘ve also just released a chapbook of my poetry, Despite it all. Where am I headed? I’d like to travel the world, get on stages with my poetry, paint more murals and conduct workshops on the power of words.

That all sounds great! What do you see as the artist’s role in society?

To help people feel something.

Note: You can purchase My Life In Yellow‘s recently-released poetry book together with Ana Candelaria‘s photograph of her iconic sticker as a PHOTO PRINT & CHAPBOOK BUNDLE PRE-SALE here.

Interview conducted and edited for brevity by Lois Stavsky with Ana Candelaria

Photo credits: 1 (featuring Ana’s photograph) – 3, 6, (featuring My Life In Yellow‘ s collaboration with Androi 0i for Underhill Walls 7 & 9 Lois Stavsky; 4, 5, 8, 10 & 11 Ana Candelaria

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Back to First Street Green Art Park: Fumero, Bella Phame, ElektroTypes, RF3RD, Roycer, Hektad, Ratchi and Cram Concepts

March 15, 2020

First Street Green Art Park, one of my favorite spots in town, not only introduces me to a wide range of artists who are new to me, but also showcases works by those who’ve been making their mark on the streets for years. Featured above is a tribute mural to Koby Bryant and his daughter by the richly prolific Fumero. Several more images recently revisited in First Street Art Green Park follow:

The artist couple Bella Phame