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Select and articulate a potentially problematic issue related to conducting documentary research with your chosen field site/community.

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Discuss your level of access to your chosen field site/community.  Are you welcome?  What are the implications for your research?

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Discuss how your documentation efforts may be "useful" for the community you are working with.

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- There could be inappropriate art
- There could be an artist who doesn't want to be caught on camera
- There could no artist because of COVID
- The alley could be crowded
- There could be bad weather
- There could be wild rabid animals
- Equipment could possible damaged or stolen
- What if I encounter someone who doesn't speak English

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- It's open 24/7/365
- It's free
- All are welcome
- Paid parking
- In the entertainment district
- 24 minute drive from my apartment
- Can take bus or Uber there

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- I feel like an outsider despite my background and degree in art
- I'm interested in this location because I'm interested in the art being produced during this struggling time in America
- Right now there are a bunch of protests in support of the BLM movement so I'm hoping there's a lot of art in support of BLM
- I care because I'm a part of the community effected by police brutality and support BLM

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- It's important to document art
- It could help open up other future graffiti locations
- It could inform the public about graffiti alley and attract more visitors
- It can educate people on graffiti and where they can go to spray
- Can change people's mind sets about graffiti

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- Nikon D3400
- Blue Yetti Mic
- Reaper
- Premiere
- After Effects
- Photoshop
- Lightroom

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- Could expose underground artist
- Could spread COVID
- People stealing art
- People claiming art that isn't theirs
- Someone can spray on top of art and diminish art quality or insult artist

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Graffiti Alley, Baltimore, MD 21218
(N Howard St & W 19 1/2 St)

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Sign the Petition

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Spraying graffiti in the state of Maryland can land you in up to three years of prison and a $2,500 fine. This risk can be found in every corner of the entire state - except for the one hotspot in Maryland where spraying graffiti is legal: Graffiti Alley.

While graffiti artists normally have to hang off fences and look over their shoulders for cops to place their tag, Graffiti Alley allows street artists to relieve stress and create colorful art without fear of being locked up. Located in the States North Arts and Entertainment District of Baltimore, this L-shaped alley is owned by the Graffiti Warehouse, and you can never predict what designs you're going to see, considering how frequently it's repainted throughout the year.

Graffiti Alley didn't used to be so colorful. According to local resident Mark Sherwin, "the alley was a heroin shooting alley and a blow job spot for people who didn't want to rent a room at the motel next door." But that all changed when the "Graffiti Warehouse", a studio filled with street art, decided to locate its headquarters adjacent to the the alley in 2005 with the hope of converting the criminal backstreet into a painted haven for graffiti sprayers.

Nowadays, every square inch of wall space in graffiti alley is filled with flamboyant color - even the trash cans are painted over. As you enter, you're met by the image of a Muslim woman with a bandolier and a gun with the words, "NO RULES." Every week, street artists spend hours at the site, perfecting their craft.

Now a hidden gem of Baltimore's urban atmosphere, Graffiti Alley brings communities together through the lens of creative self-expression, and is often the site of breakdance parties and even school field trips. It reminds all visitors that although graffiti may be seen as uncivil vandalism to some, it is an art filled with heart and soul for those whose lives are shaped around it.

If you want to help protect Graffiti Alley from being paved over by new developments, you can sign the petition by clicking .

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Spraying graffiti in the state of Maryland can land you in up to three years of prison and a $2,500 fine. This risk can be found in every corner of the entire state - except for the one hotspot in Maryland where spraying graffiti is legal: Graffiti Alley.

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Graffiti Alley - Charles North - Baltimore, MD

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26 reviews of Graffiti Alley "I like learning how Hip Hop has influenced each community I visit. Here is one spot that I heard about. Here was my experience Saturday noon. Parking: There's street parking and a parking lot across. You do have to...

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- Allowed to post pictures and videos
- Allowed to have events there
- Allowed to tag location
- Allowed to use hashtag
- Allowed to search on social media for post
- Can search on google and find info

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There are actual businesses that get paid to do graffiti art and murals

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In 2018, commercial graffiti or aerosol art has become a huge worldwide industry. Many Fortune 500 companies are now hiring graffiti and street artists to create custom pieces in their corporate offices. Everyone from small businesses to high-end property owners are commissioning graffiti artists for all kinds of projects. With that said, we researched hundreds of graffiti companies out there and ranked some of the world's best graffiti art companies.

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World's Best Graffiti Company - Graffiti Artists For Hire

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In 2018, commercial graffiti or aerosol art has become a huge worldwide industry. Many Fortune 500 companies are now hiring graffiti and street artists to create custom pieces in their corporate offices. Everyone from small businesses to high-end property owners are commissioning graffiti artists for all kinds of projects.

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- No Snapchat (Can view story in Snap Map)
- No Twitter account (Can search name and hashtags)
- Has a Facebook Page but no posting (Can search name and hashtags)
- No Instagram (Can search name, location, and hashtags)

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- Showroom Cafe & Bar
- Artist & Craftsman Supply
- Nancy's Coffee Shop
- MICA
- Baltimore Bicycle Works
- Popeyes
- Baskin-Robbins
- Motel 6
- North Avenue Market
- Joe Squared Pizza & Bar
- The Crown Baltimore
- Dunkin'
- Parkway Theatre
- McDonalds

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There's a Graffiti Alley Toronto

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It's an attraction

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Things To Do In Baltimore:  Graffiti Alley

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Graffiti Alley Baltimore, Maryland DJI Phantom 4 Pro Obsidian

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People tag all around the city. Having Graffiti Alley gives them a place to spray

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Graffiti Tunnels on the Jones Fall River

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Jay Vs Niyah - Graffiti Alley Baltimore Club Dance Battle!

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Station North Art District | Graffiti Alley

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Should be good weather since its summer.

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Locals know it's a tourist spot.

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Makes Baltimore seem like a safer, culturally active place

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Baltimore's Graffiti Alley is a space where creative expression runs free

Graffiti conjures images of unruly teens with spray paint cans tagging bridges and walls under the cover of darkness. Baltimore's Graffiti Alley is a vast departure from graffiti in its usual form. Instead, it's a legal art space where Baltimore's street art community can share their work without fear of prosecution.

The Station North Arts and Entertainment District hosts Graffiti Alley. It is an L-shaped gauntlet of vibrant art. It is constantly changing and conveying the visions of its contributing artists in new ways.

Graffiti covers every square inch of the alley, from pipes jutting out of the brick walls, to trash cans lining the street. However, no rules for creating art at Graffiti Alley except for the unspoken agreement to treat all artists with respect.

Graffiti Alley provides a creative, safe space for young artists

Graffiti Warehouse owns the alley. They describe it as "an innovative space that helps keep young artists safe and avoiding confrontations with the law."

In addition, Graffiti Alley saves the City of Baltimore over $300,000 a year on graffiti cleaning. Because street artists are able to place their work in the alley's dedicated space.

Before Graffiti Warehouse moved its headquarters to the area in 2005, Graffiti Alley wasn't the living canvas it is today. Instead, it was a hotbed of drug activity and other criminal behaviors and a frequent stop for Baltimore police.

Today, Graffiti Alley stands as a symbol of community. In addition, the power of self-expression, even serving as a location for school field trips and dances.

In a sea of concrete and utilitarian buildings, Graffiti Alley is painting the spirit of Baltimore in living color. [Photo by Sean O'Donnell/Artistic Fuel]

A living, ever-changing art portfolio

The artists of Graffiti Alley refer to themselves as "writers." They tell their stories through colorful tags and illustrations.

The art is periodically painted over to refresh. Consequently, each installation is carefully captured in photographs by the artists and visitors to the alley.

Graffiti Warehouse promotes local street artists and their work. The goal is to help them connect with potential buyers and commission legal projects in Baltimore and the surrounding area.

Graffiti Alley currently has two large murals, including one of poet and author Edgar Allan Poe, who once called Baltimore home. [Photo by Sean O'Donnell/Artistic Fuel]

The alley is open to the public. Furthermore, visitors are free to pose with the art and spend as much time as they'd like exploring each section of the sprawling brick walls.

City officials periodically consider redeveloping the alley and eliminating it as a safe space for street artists to perfect their craft.

In a sea of concrete and utilitarian buildings, Graffiti Alley is painting the spirit of Baltimore in living color.

Visitors will find the alley directly behind the Motor House on North Howard Street.

In a sea of concrete and utilitarian buildings, Graffiti Alley is painting the spirit of Baltimore in living color. [Photo by Sean O'Donnell/Artistic Fuel]

Sean O'Donnell

Sean O'Donnell is an influencer and entrepreneur who resides in Los Angeles. Sean has appeared in various movies and television shows on networks such as ABC, Hulu, and Nickelodeon. He has brought his social media expertise to help some of the largest brands in the world including Dolce & Gabana, Ernst & Young, HP, Paramount, and more.

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A Walk Through Baltimore's Graffiti Alley - Artistic Fuel

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Graffiti conjures images of unruly teens with spray paint cans tagging bridges and walls under the cover of darkness. Baltimore's Graffiti Alley is a vast departure from graffiti in its usual form. Instead, it's a legal art space where Baltimore's street art community can share their work without fear of prosecution.

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What makes graffiti illegal

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In the rapidly changing world of Intellectual Property Law, street art protection is less commonly discussed than that of other innovative creations. Street art is somewhat ambiguous in its meaning. It is common to associate street art with the graffiti spray-painted tags on a building or subway. However, actual street art is something created with more depth. Legally, the distinction between permanent graffiti and art is permission. Street art becomes vandalism when that permission to publicly paint is not granted.[1] Because of the complexity of public art, the amount of protection warranted to street art is unclear. Graffiti law is not yet a legal practice; however, graffiti-related disputes have been stirring across the country.[2]

In a case close to home, 5Pointz graffiti curators have been wrestling with building owners over their famous murals being torn down without notice in Long Island City, New York.[3] 5Pointz, the outdoor art exhibition once praised as an international "graffiti mecca," is undergoing construction as it transforms into two residential high-rises with luxury apartments.[4] Strikingly, the apartments will keep the 5Pointz name. The newly constructed buildings will showcase street art-style decorations in memory of the destroyed exhibit, much to the dismay of original 5Pointz artists. The building may even display replicas of 5Pointz if the artists grant permission. That may be unlikely, though, considering their adversarial stance against the building owners.

The legacy of 5Pointz began with curator Jonathan Cohen in the early 1990s.[5] Nearly three decades ago, the site was merely made up of unused artist studios. So, Cohen asked the building's owners, Jerry and David Wilkoff, for permission to paint on the walls of the buildings.[6] After agreeing to the artist's use, Cohen went to work and, over time, local and international artists joined him, turning the buildings into the colorful outdoor art exhibit it came to be known as over time.[7]

The building owners were issued a permit on August 21, 2013 by the City Planning Commission to convert the 5Pointz buildings into high rise apartments. On October 10, 2013, Cohen and other aerosol artists sued the owners of the buildings that housed 5Pointz to prevent their works' destruction, asserting VARA (Visual Artists Rights Act) and common law tort claims in the Eastern District Court of New York. In the case of Cohen, et al. v. G&M Realty, L.P., the court denied the artists' request for injunctive relief.[8] Despite the suit, the 5Pointz artwork were quickly whitewashed in one night, erasing all artwork to allegedly prevent the property from being able to claim landmark status. The artists accused the owners of deliberately whitewashing the art so rapidly in an attempt to sabotage their plan to get the building landmarked because they had already prepared over 20,000 landmark forms for submission to the Landmarks Commission that were collected during a rally several days before the destruction. The stigma behind graffiti being an act of vandalism is blurred when building owners consent to having street art on their property, and then forcefully remove it without giving the artists an opportunity to preserve their work.

Twenty-three artists had accused Jerry Wilkoff of removing the murals without giving the artists a fair opportunity to remove and preserve their work, or even the minimum notice required by law.[9] In March 31, 2017, Senior District Judge Frederic Block ruled against the real estate developers, who made a motion to dismiss the artists' third and final complaint. Judge Bloc stated that: "For VARA, the plaintiffs would have no right to prevent 5Pointz's destruction by its rightful and legal owner; hence, the plaintiffs' "moral rights" to prevent another's disposition of his property arise purely under VARA. Because the plaintiffs' conversion and property damage claims wholly depend on the viability of their VARA claim, the Court finds them to be fully preempted."[10] This significant legal victory for the artists is meaningful for the entire art community because the judge is allowing the case to go in front of a jury who may be more sympathetic to the wronged artists than to the real estate owners and developers.[11]

Cohen and his fellow artists asserted that their street art is protected under VARA, a federal act that grants visual artists limited rights over visual works of art they created but do not own, and thus they are entitled to monetary damages for the destruction of their visual works of art.[12] VARA offers limited protections to only visual works of art. A "work of visual art" is:

(1) a painting, drawing, print, or sculpture, existing in a single copy, in a limited edition of 200 copies or fewer that are signed and consecutively numbered by the author, or, in the case of a sculpture, in multiple cast, carved, or fabricated sculptures of 200 or fewer that are consecutively numbered by the author and bear the signature or other identifying mark of the author.[13]

Evidently, the 5Pointz street art exhibition can be classified as a visual work of art because the murals were spray painted at the site and signed by the artists, and Judge Frederic Block agreed. The developers unsuccessfully argued that the rights warranted by VARA were "narrow and inapplicable given that, while the artists are well-known, the works are not."

The judge ruled that the evidence provided by both developers and artists on VARA claims were sufficient to allow this case before a jury. VARA states:

(a) Rights of Attribution and Integrity.-Subject to section 107 and independent of the exclusive rights provided in section 106, the author of a work of visual art-

(1) shall have the right-

(A) to claim authorship of that work...

(3) subject to the limitations set forth in section 113(d), shall have the right-

(A) to prevent any intentional distortion, mutilation, or other modification of that work which would be prejudicial to his or her honor or reputation, and any intentional distortion, mutilation, or modification of that work is a violation of that right, and

(B) to prevent any destruction of a work of recognized stature, and any intentional or grossly negligent destruction of that work is a violation of that right.

(b) Scope and Exercise of Rights.-

Only the author of a work of visual art has the rights conferred by subsection (a) in that work, whether or not the author is the copyright owner. The authors of a joint work of visual art are co-owners of the rights conferred by subsection (a) in that work.

(c) Exceptions.-

(1) The modification of a work of visual art which is a result of the passage of time or the inherent nature of the materials is not a distortion, mutilation, or other modification described in subsection (a)(3)(A).

(2) The modification of a work of visual art which is the result of conservation, or of the public presentation, including lighting and placement, of the work is not a destruction, distortion, mutilation, or other modification described in subsection (a)(3) unless the modification is caused by gross negligence.

(3) The rights described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a) shall not apply to any reproduction, depiction, portrayal, or other use of a work in, upon, or in any connection with any item described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of the definition of "work of visual art" in section 101, and any such reproduction, depiction, portrayal, or other use of a work is not a destruction, distortion, mutilation, or other modification described in paragraph (3) of subsection (a).

(d) Duration of Rights.-

(1) With respect to works of visual art created on or after the effective date set forth in section 610(a) of the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990, the rights conferred by subsection (a) shall endure for a term consisting of the life of the author.

(e) Transfer and Waiver.-

(1) The rights conferred by subsection (a) may not be transferred, but those rights may be waived if the author expressly agrees to such waiver in a written instrument signed by the author...[14]

Interestingly, real estate and copyright law seem to intersect where VARA applies, and so real estate owners, like those of the 5Pointz site, need to be aware of its protections. Title 17 of the United States Code, Section 106A(a)(1)(B)(3)(A) provides that the author of a visual art has the right to prevent intentional mutilation of a work, and any such mutilation is a violation of that right. Undoubtedly, the developers have violated the artists' VARA-granted right. None of the statutory exceptions apply to the developers. The works were not naturally distorted over time or modified for improvement. Furthermore, 5Pointz comprised of original visual works based on each artist's own perception; they were not reproductions or depictions of other works, so the third exception does not apply either. VARA grants visual artists these rights for the duration of the artist's life, unless that right has been waived in a written instrument and signed by the artist, and there is no evidence of such waiver by the artists here.

While some perceived Judge Block's ruling against the developers as an "unexpected turn" for the graffiti artists, it's almost clear-cut that VARA is written in the artists' favor. Despite the undefined realm of graffiti law, VARA is not so ambiguous as to the protections it warrants; nonetheless, it is narrowly construed. With the support of articles on 5Pointz, corporate and worldwide recognition, and "aerosol art" experts' testimonies, it seems quite feasible that a jury will sympathize with the 5Pointz artists who, with the permission of the owners, worked on the demolished buildings. In the meantime, the art world awaits and anticipates the trial that turn out to be a landmark case for street artists in need of protection for their recognized works.

-

[1] Nicole Martinez, Street Art or Vandalism? Art Law Journal (2017).

[2] Marie-Andree Weiss, "Spray" the Word: Graffiti Law is a New Legal Niche, The 1709 Blog (2016), http://the1709blog.blogspot.com/2016/11/spray-word-graffiti-law-is-new-legal.html (last visited Aug. 4, 2017).

[3] Claire Voon, A Glimpse Inside the Street Art-Themed 5Pointz Condos, Hyperallergic (2017), https://hyperallergic.com/386244/a-glimpse-inside-the-street-art-themed-5pointz-condos (last visited Aug. 4, 2017).

[4] Corey Kilgannon, 5Pointz Graffiti Artists Whose Works Were Erased Will Get Day in Court, The New York Times (2017), https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/09/nyregion/5pointz-graffiti-artists-whose-works-were-erased-will-get-day-in-court.html (last visited Aug. 4, 2017).

[5] Bruce Wallace, Remembering 5Pointz: A Five-Story Building That Told Plenty More, NPR (2013), http://www.npr.org/2013/11/21/246549375/remembering-5pointz-a-five-story-building-that-told-plenty-more (last visited Aug. 4, 2017).

[6] Jessica Meiselman, 5 Pointz Graffiti Artists Score Major Win in Suit against Developers, Artsy (2017), https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-5-pointz-graffiti-artists-score-major-win-suit-developers (last visited Aug. 4, 2017).

[7] Leonard Greene, Two high-rise towers will pay homage to graffiti mecca 5Pointz, NY Daily News (2017), http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/high-rise-towers-pay-homage-graffiti-mecca-5pointz-article-1.3207741 (last visited Aug. 4, 2017).

[8] See Cohen v. G & M Realty L.P., 988 F. Supp. 2d 212 (E.D.N.Y. 2013).

[9] Laurel Babcock & Bob Fredericks, Graffiti mecca 5 Pointz erased overnight, New York Post (2013), http://nypost.com/2013/11/19/5-pointz-graffiti-erased-in-overnight-paint-job/ (last visited Aug. 4, 2017).

[10] Cohen v. G&M REALTY LP, Case No. 13-CV-05612 (FB) (RLM) (E.D.N.Y. Mar. 31, 2017), https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=13462150384806350539&q=COHEN+V.+G%26M+REALTY+L.P.&hl=en&as_sdt=3,33&as_vis=1 (last visited Aug 24, 2017).

[11] Corey Kilgannon, 5Pointz Graffiti Artists Whose Works Were Erased Will Get Day in Court, The New York Times (2017), https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/09/nyregion/5pointz-graffiti-artists-whose-works-were-erased-will-get-day-in-court.html (last visited Aug. 4, 2017).

[12] Cohen v. G&M REALTY LP, Case No. 13-CV-05612 (FB) (RLM) (E.D.N.Y. Mar. 31, 2017), https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=13462150384806350539&q=COHEN+V.+G%26M+REALTY+L.P.&hl=en&as_sdt=3,33&as_vis=1 (last visited Aug. 24, 2017).

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In the rapidly changing world of Intellectual Property Law, street art protection is less commonly discussed than that of other innovative creations. Street art is somewhat ambiguous in its meaning. It is common to associate street art with the graffiti spray-painted tags on a building or subway.

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Property Damage less than $400: punishable by a misdemeanor with penalties of up to 1 year In county jail and/or maximum of $1,000 fine.

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Graffiti is the act of scratching, etching, painting, or other form of writing/drawing on the surface of someone else's property. It is often associated with tagging.

Graffiti and vandalism require malice and intent. If the damage was done accidentally and unintentionally, you cannot be charged with vandalism, but may be civilly liable to the property owner and you would still need to pay for the damage.

Graffiti Laws

Graffiti laws differ in each jurisdiction. For example, some states have comprehensive graffiti programs that include education and community involvement as prevention, as well as traditional punishments. Other jurisdictions place graffiti under the umbrella of vandalism laws.

What Are the Punishments for Graffiti?

The punishments for graffiti also differ in each jurisdiction and can include a fine, jail time, community service, and alternative punishments based on the situation. However, in almost all cases the defendant must pay or work to fix the property damage associated with the graffiti. If the defendant is under a certain age, the judge may use sentencing options for juveniles. Additionally, there may be different penalties for gang-related graffiti.

The penalties in many states vary depending on the damage that is done on the property and the dollar value required to restore the property back to it's original condition. The usual penalties for graffiti may include:

Property Damage exceeding $400: 1-3 years and /or fine of up to $10,000 or more depending on the severity of the damage.

Property Damage less than $400: punishable by a misdemeanor with penalties of up to 1 year In county jail and/or maximum of $1,000 fine.

Some jurisdictions also have "responsible retailer" laws that require store owners to keep graffiti tools in places where they are less likely to be stolen. For example, in some areas spray cans and wide-tip markers must be displayed only in places visible to employees at all times.

What Are the Defenses for Graffiti and Vandalism Charges?

Depending on the facts of the case, an experienced criminal defense attorney may be able to reduce or dismiss a graffiti or vandalism charge. Common defenses to a vandalism charge include:

The damage that was done on the property was done by somebody else

The damage was not intentional and occurred by accident

The property owner gave consent to paint or use graffiti on the private property

Mistaken identity

Mural Projects

Some cities and property owners have sanctioned artists to create murals in order to keep graffiti off of their walls. Artists must have permission from the building owner and in many places the city in order to create a mural on someone else's building.

Do I Need an Attorney?

If you or someone you know has been arrested for graffiti, then you will likely want to hire a criminal defense attorney to defend you. A lawyer will be able to explain all of your options and create a strategy for your defense.

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A person may only be charged with graffiti or vandalism if there is an intent and malice. Artists require permit from the building owner before creating murals to avoid future disputes. The LegalMatch online library contains legal insights to help you win your case and recover losses. See more.

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Average can of spray paint is about $5
Cheapest: $3
Expensive: $14

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Whether you're looking to add some color to an item or totally transform a large canvas, choosing the right spray paint can make all the difference to how your projects turns out.

Types of Spray Paint

Most spray paint is classified by how it's used, but almost all formulations feature an array of vibrant colors and fitting finishes to give your project the best finishing touch. General purpose spray paint and decorative spray paint can be used on a wide array of materials (both indoors and out), features unique textures and finishes like metallic, high gloss, crackle and stone. Rust-preventative spray paints, like Rust-oleum, are generally used on outdoor items to help prevent fading, cracking, corrosion and rust accumulation. Professional spray paints are designed for industrial use, provide continuous rust and corrosion protections and tend to dry to the touch in 15 minutes or less. Other industrial spray paints include striping spray paints used on blacktop for roads, grass for lining sports fields and other surfaces like concrete and soil to indicate utility lines. Other special use paints include automotive spray paint, high heat spray paint and special effects like frosted spray paint and glow-in-the-dark spray paint. Most formulations include a primer, but several brands also offer standalone spray primer.

Other unique types include artist spray paint from brands like Montana-Cans. They display exceptionally vibrant colors and finishes that make murals come to life. They also feature specially engineered cans that can deliver precise streams of paint from almost any angle.

Some General Tips for Spray Painting

REMOVE: Always prep before you paint. This may include cleaning the surface as well as removing the old layer of paint, lacquer or stain with an appropriate chemical remover and tools.

PREP: Sanding may be required to even out the surface or provide a surface that the spray paint can adhere to. Be sure to use an appropriate grit sanding block or sanding sheet so you don't overdo it.

PRIME: After clearing away all debris, you should apply 1 to 2 coats of spray primer to your surface, especially if your final paint does not include a primer.

For more tips on choosing a spray paint as well as spray painting, check out our Spray Paint Buying Guide.

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Whether you're looking to add some color to an item or totally transform a large canvas, choosing the right spray paint can make all the difference to how your projects turns out. Types of Spray Paint Most spray paint is classified by how it's used, but almost all formulations feature an array of vibrant colors and fitting finishes to give your project the best finishing touch.

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In this ProPaintCorner.com guide, you will learn:

What to look for in spray paint for graffiti

The best 4 spray paints for graffiti

And much more!

Below is a quick list of all our top products. Keep scrolling to learn more about how to choose and use the best spray paint for graffiti.
Our Overall #1 Rated Pick
(updated 3/25/2020)

Top 4 Best Spray Paints for Graffiti

In a hurry? Check out our Top 5 picks below! Keep reading to learn more about these spray paints for graffiti!

1. Montana BLACK Popular Colors Set of 12 Graffiti Street Art Mural Spray Paint

2. Krylon COLORmaxx Spray Paint

3. MTN Hardcore 2 Popular Colors Set of 12 Graffiti Street Art Mural Spray Paint

4. Rust-Oleum Stops Rust Metallic Spray Paint

It's important to consider what you're aiming to accomplish with the spray paint you choose. So if you want to learn what to look for, read on...

What To Look For In The Best Spray Paint For Graffiti and Street Art?

As we mentioned before, graffiti requires different spray paints than your typical DIY job. Graffiti is an art form with tons of variables that determine the kind of paints you'll need.

Most of the time, however, you want to look for high-coverage paints in a variety of colors that go on smoothly.

You also want to find the best high pressure spray cans possible, since low pressure spray paint cans won't provide as much precision.

In the past, graffiti artists simply had to work with what they could find. Which usually meant they could only use whatever their local hardware store had on-hand.

Now, there are brands and companies that cater specifically to graffiti artists and muralists so they can get the most out of the paints and spray cans they choose.

No matter what spray paint brands you choose to go with, however, you need to consider a few key things before you get started.

Think about what kind of finish you're looking for. Do you want a matte finish, or do you want more vibrant colors? Also consider how you'll be applying the paint, are you going to use stencils or are you going for more natural spray paint art? All of these things will determine what spray paint brands you end up using.

What Are the Different Types of Spray Paint for Graffiti?

Since graffiti is a broad art form, there are plenty of different types of spray paints to choose from. Choosing the right brand really depends on the surfaces you'll be spray painting, as well as the finish you're looking for.

For example, if you know you're going to be painting on a clean wall (probably sheetrock) you don't need to worry too much about paint adherence, and a glossier paint will probably do the trick. You likely won't need to prime the wall too much either.

But, if you intend to work outdoors on a concrete or brick surface, you'll want something a little more robust and heavy so it sticks to the surface better. There are plenty of factors that go into choosing the right spray paints and finding the best match for you.

Ultimately, depending on the job at hand, you want to look for a spray paint that has some staying power as well as a true-to-color application. Since graffiti is meant to really pop, choosing the right brand with a good color selection is key.

Our Reviews Of The Best 4 Spray Paints For Graffiti and Street Art

So if you want to get a variety of colors to make your mural pop, these are the spray paints we recommend.

Plus, it's an excellent value for the money! Check the low price now...

Final Thoughts On The Best Spray Paints For Graffiti

Choosing the right spray paint for your next graffiti project comes down to a few variables. The first thing to consider is how experienced you are with spray paint application, especially when it comes to more artistic uses.

If you're just starting out and want to get your feet wet, we recommend going with a Krylon or Rust-Oleum paint since they're lower cost and will help you learn without breaking the bank.

However, if you have some experience and you know that you want to dive headfirst into the world of murals and street art, choosing a Montana variety pack is your best bet. That way you can get started with a variety of colors and get a higher-end finish on your project.

No matter what you choose, though, take proper precautions when working with spray paint to prevent fume inhalation like wearing a 3M painters mask and gloves as well as painting in a well-ventilated or outdoor area.

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Top 4 Best Spray Paints For Graffiti (2020 Review) - Pro Paint Corner

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In this ProPaintCorner.com guide, you will learn: What to look for in spray paint for graffiti The best 4 spray paints for graffiti And much more! Below is a quick list of all our top products. Keep scrolling to learn more about how to choose and use the best spray paint for graffiti.

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Graffiti Tutorial - Spray Paint Techniques: Montana, Molotow, Flame, Ironlak & Sugar

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I can make free time to go

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THE 15 BEST Things to Do in Baltimore - 2019 (with Photos) - TripAdvisor

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Book your tickets online for the top things to do in Baltimore, Maryland on TripAdvisor: See 69,618 traveler reviews and photos of Baltimore tourist attractions. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in June. We have reviews of the best places to see in Baltimore. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions.

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- Spray paint is easily obtainable
- You can practice spray painting at Graffiti Alley
- You don't have to be an expert
- You could learn tips and tricks online
- There's potential to learn from another artist painting
- You can paint on any wall in the alley (even the ground)

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I don't think research at this location would require review. I'm focusing more on what Graffiti Alley means to the community it's in rather than a group of people.
On the other hand, if I do talk to a wide variety of participants there is a chance that someone might be part of a vulnerable group. Using what I learned from class I would have to be careful how I frame certain questions, check my privilege, and identify I'm coming from a position of power.

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BALTIMORE (WBFF) -- It's not just potholes and trash adding to the city's grime. There's also graffiti concerns. Complaints have been pouring into 311. The city's 311 call log shows more than 1,000 reported complaints since the start of the new year. It's an eyesore for some who call the city home.

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The most colorful place in Baltimore

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Illegally spraying graffiti in the state of Maryland can land you in up to three years of prison and a $2,500 fine.

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Ernest Shaw heard the news that Toni Morrison had died while he was driving to Station North Arts Café Gallery for breakfast.

"It's a family atmosphere there, and that's all everyone was talking about," Shaw says, noting owner Kevin Brown had founded the James Baldwin Literary Society in Baltimore decades earlier. "As I was listening to the conversation, I started searching images on my phone."

By afternoon-following a stop for spray paint at nearby Artist & Craftsman Supply-the muralist and longtime city arts teacher found himself in North Howard Street's Graffiti Alley, putting the finishing touches on a large-scale, pop-up work of Morrison, who won a Pulitzer for her novel Beloved.

By evening, the soulful portrait had gone viral, and Shaw spent the next two days, including his 50th birthday, in the alley-turned-tourist-attraction doing interviews. "I'd found a photo when she was younger I liked initially, but I wanted something instantly recognizable-from the period when she became known to the world," Shaw says. "I consider [her death] the acquiring of an ancestor. She earned that status. The portrait was my way of asking for permission to move forward."

Situated behind Motor House-the arts venue where Shaw maintains a studio-Graffiti Alley, as one might anticipate, has a colorful history. Not visible from the street, the L-shaped alley had long been a receptacle for trash, used needles and condoms, and, occasionally, graffiti before artist Sherwin Mark bought the abandoned Lombard Office Furniture building and transformed it into the Load of Fun complex in 2005. (Burlesque star and then-tenant Trixie Little suggested the moniker, pointing out Mark only needed to remove some Lombard Office Furniture lettering.) Taking over in 2015, Motor House's name pays homage to the city's first Ford dealership, which predated the furniture store.

Immediately after Load of Fun opened, more graffiti writing began appearing in the alley. Mark appreciated the artwork; City officials did not. He was cited for refusing to cover over the graffiti and eventually a City crew took matters into their own hands with white primer. When racist slogans and gang symbols shot up on the suddenly stark canvas, Mark, with the support of local business owners, convinced officials to allow the graffiti writers to return.

Today, while the penalty in Maryland for graffiti can include a sentence of up to three years and a $2,500 fine, Graffiti Alley remains the one place in the state where the practice is tolerated. Attracting artists on a daily basis, the work in the alley remains almost constantly in flux. In recent years, the space has hosted a chamber music concert, an aerial arts festival, and too many weekend dance parties to count.

It's by coincidence Shaw's portrait of Morrison serves as an outdoor extension of his show inside Motor House-Testify! A Life's Time of Emerging Blackness-which includes paintings of Baldwin, Nina Simone, and Thelonius Monk.

"I'm not used to spraying paint. When I do a mural it's brushes and rollers, but I can practice here," Shaw says, gesturing toward the Morrison wall, adding he's picked up tips from accomplished Baltimore street artists Nether and Gaia.

He notes graffiti writers don't typically appreciate the realistic portraiture work he does-particularly in a space like Graffiti Alley that they've claimed for themselves. "I did a Pablo Picasso that got covered right away," he says. "Same with a blue-on-black John Coltrane portrait that was framed in a nice spot. Same with a [Grammy-winning jazz trumpeter] Roy Hargrove that I did after he died. That one meant a lot to me, because we were the same age and I'd followed his career. The next day, my signature was crossed out and someone had taken my Roy Hargrove portrait and put a different portrait on top of it.

"What can you do? You get used to it because you have to. Everything in life is changing all the time," Shaw says, taking a long pause. "But yeah, truth is, I've been peeking out of my studio and checking every morning to see if the Toni Morrison portrait is still up."
Ernest Shaw will host a guided tour of his solo exhibition -"Testify! A Life's Time of Emerging Blackness"-at the Motor House, 120 W. North Ave., October 16, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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Ernest Shaw heard the news that Toni Morrison had died while he was driving to Station North Arts Café Gallery for breakfast. "It's a family atmosphere there, and that's all everyone was talking about," Shaw says, noting owner Kevin Brown had founded the James Baldwin Literary Society in Baltimore decades earlier.

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Family Friendly

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Nothing inappropriate or illegal. Also no gang tagging. No littering. The owner checks the alley way frequently and has covered anything "unsavory"

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I believe there are cameras and lights for the parking lot.
There are no lights in the actual alley.
There are no security guards.

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- More legal graffiti locations
- More lights and/or cameras in spots where artist might want to spray
- Organizing an annual graffiti art exhibition
- Creating a special coating for walls that doesn't let paint stick to it

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Baltimore's Graffiti Alley is a space where creative expression runs free

Graffiti conjures images of unruly teens with spray paint cans tagging bridges and walls under the cover of darkness. Baltimore's Graffiti Alley is a vast departure from graffiti in its usual form. Instead, it's a legal art space where Baltimore's street art community can share their work without fear of prosecution.

The Station North Arts and Entertainment District hosts Graffiti Alley. It is an L-shaped gauntlet of vibrant art. It is constantly changing and conveying the visions of its contributing artists in new ways.

Graffiti covers every square inch of the alley, from pipes jutting out of the brick walls, to trash cans lining the street. However, no rules for creating art at Graffiti Alley except for the unspoken agreement to treat all artists with respect.

Graffiti Alley provides a creative, safe space for young artists

Graffiti Warehouse owns the alley. They describe it as "an innovative space that helps keep young artists safe and avoiding confrontations with the law."

In addition, Graffiti Alley saves the City of Baltimore over $300,000 a year on graffiti cleaning. Because street artists are able to place their work in the alley's dedicated space.

Before Graffiti Warehouse moved its headquarters to the area in 2005, Graffiti Alley wasn't the living canvas it is today. Instead, it was a hotbed of drug activity and other criminal behaviors and a frequent stop for Baltimore police.

Today, Graffiti Alley stands as a symbol of community. In addition, the power of self-expression, even serving as a location for school field trips and dances.

In a sea of concrete and utilitarian buildings, Graffiti Alley is painting the spirit of Baltimore in living color. [Photo by Sean O'Donnell/Artistic Fuel]

A living, ever-changing art portfolio

The artists of Graffiti Alley refer to themselves as "writers." They tell their stories through colorful tags and illustrations.

The art is periodically painted over to refresh. Consequently, each installation is carefully captured in photographs by the artists and visitors to the alley.

Graffiti Warehouse promotes local street artists and their work. The goal is to help them connect with potential buyers and commission legal projects in Baltimore and the surrounding area.

Graffiti Alley currently has two large murals, including one of poet and author Edgar Allan Poe, who once called Baltimore home. [Photo by Sean O'Donnell/Artistic Fuel]

The alley is open to the public. Furthermore, visitors are free to pose with the art and spend as much time as they'd like exploring each section of the sprawling brick walls.

City officials periodically consider redeveloping the alley and eliminating it as a safe space for street artists to perfect their craft.

In a sea of concrete and utilitarian buildings, Graffiti Alley is painting the spirit of Baltimore in living color.

Visitors will find the alley directly behind the Motor House on North Howard Street.

In a sea of concrete and utilitarian buildings, Graffiti Alley is painting the spirit of Baltimore in living color. [Photo by Sean O'Donnell/Artistic Fuel]

Sean O'Donnell

Sean O'Donnell is an influencer and entrepreneur who resides in Los Angeles. Sean has appeared in various movies and television shows on networks such as ABC, Hulu, and Nickelodeon. He has brought his social media expertise to help some of the largest brands in the world including Dolce & Gabana, Ernst & Young, HP, Paramount, and more.

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A Walk Through Baltimore's Graffiti Alley - Artistic Fuel

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Graffiti conjures images of unruly teens with spray paint cans tagging bridges and walls under the cover of darkness. Baltimore's Graffiti Alley is a vast departure from graffiti in its usual form. Instead, it's a legal art space where Baltimore's street art community can share their work without fear of prosecution.

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Here's an old website dedicated to Baltimore street art

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graffiti alley 20, 2020, ants, art, artist, baltimore, baltimore street art, blue, blue sky, bmore, bubble, bubbles, canvas, clouds, dialogue, dialogue bubble, dialogue bubbles, door, emoticons, emotions, face, faces, graffiti alley, laughing, laughing face, laughter, maryland, Maryland street art, mummy, people, sky, smiley, smiley face, street, street art, tag, tags, tears, tears of laughter

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There are probably more artist and visitors because it's summer and quarantine

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Paint causes no harm to people unless it is ingested, inhaled, or sprayed in eyes.
Graffiti doesn't hurt buildings but effects property value

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People spray because they want to express themselves creatively and have nowhere to do it

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Sherwin Mark
sherwinmichaelmark@gmail.com

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If the Station North Arts District is a frontier, Sherwin Mark is its frontiersman.

In 2005, when Mark opened the Load of Fun Gallery at 120 W. North Ave., the block was a grim place, with boarded-up buildings and needle-strewn alleys. While not all of those problems have been resolved, the area today is bursting with nightclubs, a popular pizzeria and galleries. Just try getting a parking space on a weekend night.

The 60-year-old Mark was in many ways a trailblazer. But his path is strewn with broken relationships and bitter feelings.

"The neighborhood, the artists and the surrounding businesses may or may not have benefited from my efforts and from the risks I've taken," Mark says. "But for me, Load of Fun has been and continues to be a disaster. I've been attacked a lot. I've been called a cultural criminal. People think you're making millions of dollars and exploiting them when you're spending every cent you've got on their behalf."

Even Mark's enemies would concede that he has accomplished amazing things in Station North. His efforts to improve the neighborhood have extended far beyond his property lines.

It is Mark who has been applying pressure to the owner of a vacant lot to develop his property. It was Mark who first lobbied Artscape to extend the boundaries of the country's largest free outdoor arts festival to Station North.

Currently, he is helping to put together Baltimore's first moderately priced, artist-only housing at 440 E. Oliver St. The 69-unit apartment building with an in-house art gallery is scheduled to open in December.

"He's done fabulous work," says Nancy Haragan, former longtime head of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance. "Sherwin could have just been a landlord, but instead he's an active, energetic participant in the art world. He has great ideas. His building keeps getting better and better. Every few months, there's something new. He and I don't always agree, but frequently we do."
Friend or enemy?
As a group, artists couldn't have a better friend than Mark. Individually, it can be a different story.

This year, Mark ousted Ric Royer, an actor he'd hired to oversee the black box LOF/t theater. Royer is talented and popular - he's now attending a Brown University graduate program on a full scholarship - and artists and administrators citywide lined up to take sides.

Another former employee, Suzannah Gerber, accused Mark of criminal assault in 2008, though charges were dropped before the case could come to trial.

But Charlie Duff, president of the Midtown Development Corp. and a longtime colleague and friend, describes Mark as "a genius" and "one of the most remarkable people I've ever met."

Mark was Duff's first choice to help him set up an artists community in the Oliver Street apartment building. But the various contretemps surrounding Mark temporarily gave the developer pause.

"I've been a dismayed bystander to all that," Duff says. "I wondered if Sherwin had weakened his relationships with the broader arts community and if all this might have made him less effective as part of the city arts team.

"I'm pleased to say that it hasn't. The key thing was that we get good people to run the building gallery, and boy, have we. Whatever has happened, I don't think it's been fatal."

In person, Mark is short, round and has a broad dome that emphasizes his oversize brain. He often dresses in khakis - a style originally worn on safaris by hunters tracking big game in his native South Africa, and appropriate to a man who finds himself in frequent skirmishes.

"Artists have always been my community," he says. "I will always fight for them, regardless of how [ticked] off they are at me."
Property and power
When Mark meets a potential tenant who could add value to Station North, he goes out of his way to negotiate favorable terms. For instance, he was eager to provide Single Carrot Theatre, a group of twentysomething performers, with their first permanent venue. Mark reasoned that a theater company was more likely than visual artists to increase foot traffic in the neighborhood at night.

"We moved in in January 2007, and Sherwin gave us the space at an extremely affordable rate," says J. Buck Jabaily, a founding member of the Carrots and the current executive director of the Cultural Alliance. "That was a huge step forward for us. Sherwin essentially subsidizes artists to work in his space. He could make a lot more money than he does. He intentionally charges less than the market rate."

People angry at Mark frequently say that his motives are mercenary. But it would be difficult to fake the zeal that he expresses for projects unlikely to benefit him personally. Once Mark has seized upon an idea, he will continue to press, and press hard, until the moment the coroner tags his big toe.

For instance, he has been urging the Baltimore Community Foundation and the Baker Memorial Fund to create a program to help artists buy their own homes.

"Station North is at a very precarious point," he says. "It could totally flourish and be wonderful. But for that to happen, it can't be all about developers and city planners and arts administrators. Artists have to have a stake in it. I'm always telling artists that if they don't buy property, they won't have power."

He should know. In the mid 1980s, Mark walked away from a flourishing career as a visual artist. He now owns seven residential properties in addition to Load of Fun.

"In the 1980s, Sherwin was easily one of the 10 best artists in Baltimore," says Gary Kachadourian, who for 22 years was Artscape's visual arts coordinator. "He was on the verge of getting a national reputation. There aren't very many cases of people who stop making art when they're at the top of their game. But that's what Sherwin did."

Kachadourian thinks that's because Mark needed a broader canvas on which to fully express his creativity - and that he eventually found it in Station North.
Art and temperament
"The motivating factor for Sherwin goes back to the creative process," Kachadourian says. "He approaches Load of Fun the way an artist approaches making a painting."

He notes that some of the charges leveled against Mark - his single-minded focus on his vision, his willingness to trample on others' feelings - are identical to the complaints frequently made about artists.

"Sherwin is trying to build something of value, something real," Kachadourian says.

But Royer isn't buying it.

"When Sherwin doesn't get something he wants, he throws a tantrum," Royer says. "And some of those tantrums have been legendary. I've heard it said that sometimes you need mad men, and Station North is better off with Sherwin and Load of Fun than without them. But my answer to that is no. There are people whose lives have been damaged, and that's more important than his artistic mythos."

Royer's contract to manage the LOF/t was terminated in January, a month after he received a so-called "confetti" award from the Community Foundation for his past programming at the black box theater.

Mark was incensed - he thought the award ought to have gone to the organization, not Royer. He called a meeting attended by Haragan, Melissa Warlow of the Community Foundation and Doreen Bolger, director of the Baltimore Museum of Art, and expressed his displeasure in terms strong enough to risk alienating three of the most influential members of Baltimore's arts community.

At stake was just $2,000.

For Mark, the issue wasn't the money, but the principle. He is generous about giving credit where credit is due. But he can be implacable if he thinks that Royer - or anyone else - is getting recognition that rightly belongs to him.

Mark says that he'd been intending to fire Royer since the fall of 2009 because he was "incompetent as a manager" and that his dismissal "had nothing to do with the confetti grants."

But he also was clearly rankled by the growing perception that the LOF/t was Royer's baby.

"I paid over $100,000 in labor and equipment to build the LOF/t," Mark says. "I installed the sound system, I put in new plumbing. Ric never picked up a hammer. Yet, he claimed that he alone was responsible for the LOF/t's success."

Mark seems to have harbored similar resentments against Suzannah Gerber. Simmering tensions between he two culminated in an ugly public outburst on July 19, 2008.

At the time, Gerber, who operates a sexually explicit website under the pseudonym Klawdya Rothschild, had been hired by Mark to run programming at the LOF/t. On that particular summer evening, she had programmed the Baltimore Erotic Arts Festival (of which she is the founder) into the space. Three hundred people attended the event.

"After several weeks of tolerating Suzannah's ever-increasing sense that she 'owned' Load of Fun, she was finally publicly very abusive to me on that Saturday night," Mark says.

Both agree that at some point Mark made physical contact with Gerber. In the criminal complaint, she said that he grabbed her hair, dug his fingers into her neck and immobilized her jaw. "I thought he wanted to kill me," she says in the complaint.

Mark's recollection is different.

"I told her in no uncertain terms that she should stay the ... away from me," Mark says. "When she pretended not to hear me above the music, I turned her head towards me and repeated, 'Suzannah, stay the ... away from me.'"

Two days later, Mark was charged with second-degree assault. In October 2008, he filed a countersuit against Gerber on theft charges. Before either case could go to trial in December, both parties agreed to drop their complaints. All charges were dismissed.
Fighting City Hall
Royer describes Mark as "an alpha male" and "a cowboy" - and these attributes can come in handy when Mark is battling a person or institution manifestly more powerful than he. After all, how many people have fought City Hall and won?

But that's just what Mark did when the Baltimore Police Department whitewashed the vibrantly colored graffiti wall behind his property in the winter of 2007-08. Graffiti is illegal in Baltimore as in most municipalities. But the wall was not only beautiful, it was family friendly. There were no gang slogans, no graphic depictions of sex acts.

Mark went to work. He called meetings, wrote letters and went door to door seeking support from neighborhood business owners. He threatened a lawsuit on First Amendment grounds.

Eventually, the city backed down. Today, the graffiti wall is one of Baltimore's jewels.

"I come from South Africa, and I'm used to crisis," Mark says. "Everyone argues like crazy about everything. I'm used to working in opposition to something."

And for better or for worse, Sherwin Mark is quick on the draw.
mary.mccauley@baltsun.com
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If the Station North Arts District is a frontier, Sherwin Mark is its frontiersman. In 2005, when Mark opened the Load of Fun Gallery at 120 W. North Ave., the block was a grim place, with boarded-up buildings and needle-strewn alleys.

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Bernard C. "Jack" Young

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City Council 1st District
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The Load of Fun graffiti alley isn't visible from the intersection of North Avenue and Howard Street, which is gray and beige and blighted and grim. Nearby is a nondescript motel and a check-cashing service with a barred entrance.

But when visitors walk north on Howard Street and turn onto the quirkily named 19 1/2 Street, suddenly, there the alley is. People abruptly stop walking and even lean back slightly. They draw in their chins and swallow their breaths.

It's almost like stepping into an ancient walled European city or an outdoor urban cathedral. Rows of small white Italian lights are strung overhead, the better to illuminate the walls, which are covered to a height of about 10 feet with hundreds of vibrantly colored abstract paintings. Stylized letters are superimposed atop one another - cherry "R's" and lemon "M's," grape "P's" and orange "A's," tumbled together like hard candy in a dish.

"Every day it's different," says Sherwin Mark, owner of the Load of Fun performance space and gallery, whose walls form both sides of the L-shaped alley. "When I come to work, I park my car and walk around to the alley to see what's happened since yesterday. The result is beautifully ornate and jewel-like, with a stained-glass feel."

This alley behind 120 W. North Ave. is the only place in Baltimore where graffiti artists can ply their trade without risking arrest. On any given day, visitors might include a pair of elderly tourists clutching postcards and looking for the work of artist Dave Hupp, who has exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution. Or a professor from the Maryland Institute College of Art, leading students on a tour.

Another time, veteran graffiti artist Omar Grady, 36, can be found patiently teaching spraying techniques to two 14-year-old boys who have sketched their designs into large black notebooks.

"There's a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it, and these kids study it as if it were calculus," says Karly Fae Hansen, a former Load of Fun intern and the alley's unofficial archivist.

The alley - one of those places that is quintessentially Baltimore - has existed in its present incarnation for about two years. The fact that it exists at all is a minor miracle, due in equal parts to Mark's and Hansen's determination, to city officials' willingness to bend rules and to the graffiti artists themselves, who ensure that the alley maintains a family atmosphere.

The walls contain no obscenities, gang slogans, ethnic slurs or graphic depictions of sex organs. There aren't even any stray food wrappers.

"There used to be a lot of trash in the alley: used needles, human waste and spent condoms," says Hansen, who has compiled a photographic history of the alley on the Load of Fun Web site ( loadoffun.net) and in a group on the photo-sharing site Flickr ( flickr.com/groups/612452@N22).

"The alley wasn't dangerous, but it wasn't pleasant. Then the graffiti artists came in. Now, the most offensive thing you'll find is a plastic chair that has three Gummi bears on the seat."

Graffiti drawing is dangerous, illegal and punishable by a jail term. Anyone who has spray-painted freight trains or underpasses for any length of time tells stories about being chased and, in some cases, shot at. Homeowners laboring to salvage borderline neighborhoods understandably become enraged when scrawled slogans deface their garages and local grocery store.

The spray-painters themselves distinguish between gang members, who write on walls to recruit members and stake out their territory, and the muralists for whom graffiti is a form of self-expression.

A 39-year-old writer known as "Adam Stab," whose artistic proficiency has placed him at the top of the local graffiti community, puts it like this: "I'm on the side of every cop when it comes to protecting private owners and individuals from attack. That's not what graffiti is supposed to be about."

"Stab," Hupp and Grady (who writes under the name "Verse") adhere to an unwritten code: Graffiti has no place on churches, private homes, small businesses and public monuments. Anything else, in their view - though not in the view of government officials - is fair game.

When Mark purchased Load of Fun in 2005, the building exterior was scribbled with crude lettering. "It was black and white, mostly. Nothing very intricate."

He commissioned a few murals for the back of his building. Graffiti began to appear over the murals, but it was nothing like the old stuff. The new pieces were colorful, artistically sophisticated and obviously crafted with care.

"I'd watch people work," Mark says. "They all carry around these notebooks with hundreds of pages of designs. There are six or seven different styles of script. They'll work for hours to make this edge more rounded, that edge more square. As much as some people are into lacrosse, these guys are into their different [spray can] caps and the width of the spray."

(Grady, for instance, a tow-truck driver, spends between $90 and $150 each month on spray paint.)

But the alley didn't really take off until late summer of 2007, when a national gathering of graffiti writers came to Baltimore and congregated one evening at Load of Fun. "The whole alley was filled with barbecue smoke and spray paint," Hansen says.

Police issued a citation to Mark when he refused to paint over the graffiti, as buildings owners in the city are required to do. He consulted a lawyer specializing in free-speech issues.

The standoff continued for months, until he and Hansen discovered one winter morning that the entire alley had been painted white from top to bottom. Hundreds of paintings, thousands of hours of painstaking labor, had been summarily wiped out.

"It was devastating," Hansen says. "I called it Heartbreak Alley for a while."

What happened next was even worse. Almost overnight, a scarier group of graffiti writers moved in, and the walls filled with gang symbols, racist slogans, messages supporting al-Qaida.

Mark took "before" and "after" photos. He met with officials and hammered out an agreement: The city agreed to tolerate any graffiti confined to the L-shaped alley. Mark agreed to remove tags or paintings that appeared anywhere else on the block.

City officials say they were won over by Mark's arguments and by the support he received from nearby businesses. But they describe the alley as a unique situation.

"The alley isn't really visible from the street, and I'm OK with it as long as the community is OK with it," says Eric Booker, the city's assistant commissioner of code enforcement and inspection. "These guys aren't defacing public property. You could make the argument that they're just painting their walls. But this solution won't work in every neighborhood."

Hansen contacted her network of graffiti artists, reassured them that the alley was once again safe, and the L gradually returned to its former glory.

"Stab," who would not provide his real name because of the illegality involved, considers his two-plus decades of writing graffiti to be among the purest hours he's ever spent. "It's like a form of meditation. You take a small breath. You bend over, you make a quick stroke, and there you are."

Graffiti gained some legitimacy when the Smithsonian included two writers in a National Portrait Gallery exhibit on hip-hop culture in 2008. On display were the talents of Hupp and painting partner Tim Conlon of Washington. Hupp, a 36-year-old Baltimorean, created his first piece of graffiti at age 13 on his grandmother's shed.

"What I found to be particularly compelling was how Dave and Tim had transformed this street-art aesthetic into something that really might hold its own in a museum context," says Frank Goodyear III, who co-curated the exhibit. "Their compositions are really creative, and their use of color is superb. They do innovative things like adding cartoon-like faces to their tags." Art historians trace graffiti back to the 32,000-year-old cave paintings in southwestern France. More recently, the wave of graffiti that swept through the U.S. in the late 1960s has influenced such prominent contemporary artists as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Goodyear says.

"There is a desire that has revealed itself throughout human history to mark our space, to give ourselves a presence in the world in which we live," he says. "The fact that people are picking up aerosol paint cans to do this is just the latest chapter in the evolution of human mark-making."

Some in Baltimore's community of illegal underpass and water tower scribes say that graffiti created in an officially designated place - whether the Smithsonian or the Load of Fun alley - is not authentic.

"They aren't claiming any space," says "Stab." "They aren't making a personal decision to take something that doesn't belong to them and put their tag on it. That's the process one has to go through to be a graffiti writer, and it cannot be changed."

Hupp agrees that taking a risk is an essential component of graffiti, but he enjoyed exhibiting his work in such a prominent public venue.

"It's good to be alive and in the Smithsonian," he says. "It wasn't so many years ago that you had to be dead to exhibit there. Tim and I would walk into the Smithsonian, down these marble floors and past these marble pillars, and find people posing in front of our work. It was so cool."

Hupp's father is a former police officer. After years of getting the then-teenage Dave out of scrapes, it was a thrill for the older man to see his boy's talents on display. They joked about the artist's sudden change in status from outlaw to icon.

"I told my father," Hupp says, "that it's good to see that crime pays.' "

Graffiti nomenclature Every subculture has its own slang, and graffiti is no exception. Some common terms:

*Toys: Beginning graffiti writers, often kids.

*Bulls: Railroad police. Freight trains are a favorite target of graffiti writers, because their work will be seen nationwide.

*Throw-up: Graffiti done on the fly, often in a public and highly visible place. The letters may be outlines only ("hollows"), or filled with just one or two colors.

*Bomb: A few letters of someone's tag, such as "Ver" for "Verse." When superimposed over a piece by another writer, it can start a tag war.

*Heaven spot: A high and frequently dangerous spot for graffiti, such as a rooftop or water tower.

Quick draw Consider this Graffiti for Dummies - pertinent points about the subculture.

* TAGS: Graffiti consists mainly of stylized nicknames that writers place on public places, and the writers consider these tags to be a form of self-portraiture. Small letters included within the tag designate the writers' crews.

* CREWS: Writers, who are overwhelmingly young and male, usually paint in two-member crews. They take turns painting and acting as a lookout.

* THE BALTIMORE HAND-STYLE: The modern incarnation of graffiti began in the late 1960s in Philadelphia subway stations, spread to New York, and then filtered down to Baltimore. Each city has a distinct style - Baltimore writings slant decidedly to the left. Letters are unusually chunky and fat, and tend to be joined, as in cursive handwriting.

* TAG WARS: In the graffiti world's hierarchy, writers only paint over work by inferior or less-experienced scribes. The goal is to "improve" the underlying piece. When the artistic merits of the covering image is in dispute, a "tag war" can ensue in which rival writers paint over - and vie to outdo - one another.

* GONE WITH THE WIND. Writers know graffiti might be whitewashed by city workers or painted over by another crew. The experienced carry portfolios of their best work, photographed while it is fresh.

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T he Load of Fun graffiti alley isn't visible from the intersection of North Avenue and Howard Street, which is gray and beige and blighted and grim. Nearby is a nondescript motel and a check-cashing service with a barred entrance.