Industrial waste land, train yards
nestled under the biggest bridge
in Winnipeg exposing the underbelly
of the ugliest part of the city.

 

Wall-Art Show Winter 08

The Graffiti Gallery opened in an abandoned pickle factory that had no heat for twenty years.
This building could have condemned or burned to the ground like many other abandoned building
in the area. Bought and slightly re-stored, the building still has the authentic feel of an old factory.
A latter is one of the ways up to the open second level that looks down at the gallery from the metal crates you stand upon.

 

The gallery is deeply hidden in the shadow of the Disraeli bridge—you would never find the gallery unless someone took you there. Like many gems of this city, hidden beneath the deteriorating walls of Winnipeg's center. Located off "Higgins & Main" the strip was voted the poorest community in Canada by MacLean's Magazine. Illegal graffiti is more a symptom and sign that a community has been... "neglected beyond neglect." (Winnipeg Free Press 2002) The Graffiti Gallery in conjunction with the Urban Green Team have helped greatly reduce illegal graffiti in the Higgins area. The Gallery has joined forces with many groups and area residents in a continuous effort to renew the community.

The Graffiti Gallery is a non-profit community youth art centre, using art as a tool for community, social, economic and individual growth. It is the only one of its kind in North America for artists from the age of eight and up.

The gallery is dedicated to:

• the promotion for youth art as its own genre;
  

• providing a place where artists can take creative risks;
  

• young artists who are working outside institutional expectations;
  

• promoting the early stage development benefits of art programming for our young people;
  

• neighborhood beautification and community development thru public art;
  

• free art lessons to young people who cannot afford high institution and supply costs;
  

• fostering a sense of creative cooperation and self healing.
  

The Gallery started off as a place for kids to go, get out of trouble and learn about about art. The Gallery has evolved in the ten years it has been open the .st.ART program is designed to address several issues within the immediate community. st.Art programs consist of alternative youth recreational/educational opportunities and experences.The st.Art Program hopes to help the community gain a greater understanding of the "art of graffiti" and how to take it "off the streets." The Gallery runs many community programs and after school classes: art class, computer club, photography club, video club, slam poetry, DJ/Mc class and pow-wow drumming. The gallery provides a safe,secure environment for the children.

The current project is a series of 8 moveable outdoor murals that will be mounted on the exterior walls of local businesses. The innovative aspect of making the murals moveable affords us the opportunity to rotate the murals on a regular basis so that motorists, pedestrians and employees in the area will be able to have an ever-changing view for years to come. Each of the murals is 8’ x 16’ and is painted by young emerging artists that have trained at our facility, whether through our Urban Canvas Program, or as participants in our after-school art classes. The successful conclusion of this phase of the project will spawn new efforts to fund continuing murals, leading to economic impacts for local businesses that supply our materials, revenue for young artists in the neighborhood, increasing beautification/less vandalism and graffiti.

The Gallery has organized a Mural Festival and Symposium which which focused on education, developing networking opportunities, public interest, and mural industry standards. The murals will be reproduced from selected 10 artist from across North America and was painted in the summer months of 2006, stay in Winnipeg for 2 years since then another Mural Festival has taken place with more talented artists developing murals. The vinyl murals may tour cities across the country in efforts for beautification.

*Some of this content is taken from www.graffitigallery.ca