Street art exists worldwide, but like rain in Seattle, some of the most lively and colorful street art pours from the walls of New York City.
Let’s face it: you can’t take a stroll around the concrete jungle without stopping to notice some of the beautiful street art and graffiti.
NYC attracts artists from all around the world, so it’s no mystery that street art and graffiti can be found in all five boroughs.
From galleries, exhibitions, murals, bathrooms, sidewalks and train stations, a true artist will paint just about anywhere to tell you a story.
Discover below some of the best and exciting new art spaces that bring our city to life!
1. #MakeuptheWall - Zeehan Wazed (Soho - until July 23rd)
Make-up Pro New York and A.R.T.S.Y Magazine have joined forces to unveil the latest artwork of artist and designer Zeehan Wazed.
Enter into a makeup salon in Soho, to experience art inspired by beauty, fashion and movement. Apart from the mural, vibrant pieces of Wazed’s artwork surround the salon at 365 Broome Street.
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Having a passion for art since he was young, the Queens native artist, reveals that painting murals is something he recently dabbled with, until last year. Known for his black and white trademark style, Wazed surprises us with a palette of bold colors for his new mural #makeupthewall.
Closely intertwining his love for shape theory and perception psychology, Wazed shares, “I tried to hide makeup objects in my linear-based style and used colors from a makeup pallet. It took a total of 5 days painting the entire salon.”
In collaboration with A.R.T.S.Y, Wazed is the second artist of the month for Make-up Pro’s #makeupthewall series, a project that celebrates self-expression and serves as a platform for artists to showcase their work.
2. Welling Court - various artists (Astoria)
Have you heard? The seventh annual Welling Court Project has adorned the walls of Astoria with more than 100 murals this summer.
Beautifying the neighborhood since December 2009 with their first mural, Ad Hoc Art along with Welling Court resident Jonathan Ellis, used the rest of the winter to later plan the launch of the first multi-block mural project in May 2010 that would compromised over 44 colorful murals.
This year’s Welling Court Mural project, includes the works of Abe Lincoln Jr, Bishop203 and Icy & Sot. You can witness these aesthetically pleasing pieces this summer, at Welling Court, between 30th Avenue and 12th Street.
3. “Untitled”- Zeehan Wazed (Brooklyn)
If you would like to see more of artist Zeehan Wazed’s work this summer….you’re in luck!
He has another mural piece situated in Brooklyn, and unlike his #makingthewallpiece where he used bold and vibrant colors, this larger mural incorporates his popular black and white signature style. Also, it took Wazed 3 days to complete this large project.
Don’t miss out in checking out his mural this summer, which can be found at 1067 Pacific Street, between Pacific and Classon Street in Brooklyn.
4. “Big City of Dreams" - Tristan Eaton (Little Italy)
You’ve probably spotted a plethora of art pieces while roaming the streets of Little Italy.
“Big City of Dreams” by Tristan Eaton is a remarkable piece that took a span of a week to complete. The piece was commissioned by L.I.S.A. (Little Italy Street Art) Project, a non-profit organization and mural arts program dedicated to bringing street artists from diverse backgrounds in Little Italy.
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Using his unique style of patchwork imagery, Los Angeles based artist Tristan, created a striking art piece of American fashion model Gigi Hadid. The four-story piece is located on Broome Street between Mulberry and Lafayette Street in Soho.
5. Graffiti Hall of Fame (East 106 Street & Park Avenue, Harlem)
When you think of “106 & Park,” a music video show probably comes to mind, right?
Yet for many Harlem residents in "106 & Park," it stands for an art movement created by neighborhood activist “Sting Ray” Rodriguez. Graffiti Hall of Fame or El Museo Del Barrio is a notable street-art site in a playground that dates back to 1980.
Rodriguez founded the hall as a way for the city's most talented graffiti artists to exhibit their skills. Enjoy some underground art this summer from some of the greatest graffiti artists of all time including Seen, Revolt, Beam and Doze.
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6. The 407 Bushwick (Johnson Avenue - Brooklyn)
Art is definitely in the air, well at least in the 407 Bushwick it is.
The rooftop of the 407 Bushwick, situated at 407 Johnson Avenue, presents a canvas of dazzling and vibrant murals. Curator Fumero decided to take the energy of street art up to the roof, transforming the rooftop into a beautiful canvas of colors.
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A cool interpretation of Frida Khalo can be seen at the 407 by German artist Uta Brauser. The piece stands as a symbol representing all the female artists who have painted at the 407 since 2013.
Overall, Bushwick offers a slew of art pieces from street artists all over the world. You can even spot murals along warehouses by Swiss artist Tones One and Host 18.
7. “Graphic Doodle” Justin Teodoro (SoHo - until August)
NYC artist, designer, and illustrator Justin Teodoro is presenting his latest artbomb mural, “Graphic Doodle,” at the Blackbody Showroom in Soho.
Teodoro creates a unique visual world that displays the cycle of life and the complexities of being a woman. Shapes, lines and figures are painted in black and white to portray women and children surrounded by nature.
In the end, by intertwining each figure, the artist achieves to demonstrate how everything and everyone are connected. The “Graphic Doodle” exhibition is free, unless you end up buying one of the OLED lights.
8. “A Tribe Called Quest Mural” Vincent Ballentine (Queens)
Artist Vincent Ballentine pays tribute to New York City hip hop legends A Tribe Called Quest in St. Alban's, Queens. The mural covers the entire wall of a laundromat where the group filmed part of their 1991 video for "Check The Rhime."
"They are legendary for a reason. They earned their place in history," Ballentine told NY1 News. Painted in Afrocentric colors of red, green and black, the mural is inspired from the cover art of two of the group’s albums, Midnight Marauders and The Low End Theory.
After a month of planning and three days of painting, Ballentine’s piece is still unfinished as he hopes to create detailed portraits of each group member, including Phife Dawg, who recently passed away this March.
You can catch “A Tribe Called Quest Mural” on the side of Nu Clear Dry Cleaners on Linden Boulevard and 192nd Street.
9. Center-fuge Public Art Project (Manhattan & Brooklyn)
Enjoy some art from Center-fuge Public Art Project this summer!
Center-fuge is a public art project that strives to bring together communities that are broken apart or abandoned with a dose of color and expression. They transform construction sites and community parks into outdoor gallery spaces in both NYC and Miami.
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You can find art murals all along East 1st street in the city and in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Artists come from all over to display their work and skills.
Think you have what it takes to showcase your art? Be apart of the movement by sending mural submissions to centrefugesubmission@gmail.com
10. The Audubon Mural Project, Hamilton Heights and Washington Heights
The Audubon Mural Project in collaboration with Gitler &_____ Gallery are spreading a message with their street art murals which are dedicated to the endangered species of birds threatened by climate change.
A series of stunning bird murals can be found all over Upper Manhattan, some cover the rolling steel security grates and others are painted on walls. Each piece achieves to stress our effect and impact on the planet.
All in all, these striking and breathtaking pieces by local artists have morphed into an urban gallery of epic proportions that are worth a look this summer!
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11. Bowery Graffiti Wall (East Village)
Check out the epicenter of the graffiti world this season!
The Bowery Mural has been graced with many notable artists such as Keith Haring, Shepard Fairey, Swoon, and Maya Hayuk. The wall was actually made famous during the 80s, when Haring first splashed the wall back in 1982.
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Later on in 2008, real-estate man Tony Goldman took over the location inviting artists from all over to come and paint the Bowery Wall. The murals here are always changing, so you can always expect something new and fresh.
The Bowery Mural is at the corner of Houston Street and the Bowery in the East Village.
12. DUMBO Street Art (Brooklyn)
Using brick walls as canvas, international artists have transformed DUMBO’s neighborhood into a stimulating and beautiful oasis. In an effort to beautify the neighborhood and to draw people to areas that were formerly desolate, eight international renowned artists have painted the walls around a four-block radius along the BQE.
If you are a fan of typography, you might just enjoy the “yes” mural, a piece designed by artist Stefan Sagmeister and painted by Coby Kennedy. Sagmeister has been designing since the age of 15. He has done design work for clients like the Rolling Stones, HBO, and the Guggenheim Museum.
His mural is on Jay Street/BQE Underpass (between York and Prospect).
13. The Bushwick Collective (Brooklyn)
The Bushwick Collective is a non-profit organization and outdoor street gallery that presents work of artists from all over the world along with art by community members, children and students from the Parsons School of Design.
Brainchild and founder of Bushwick Collective Joe Ficalora, started the project about 5 years ago, calling local friends to paint the walls on local blocks, and since then it has grown to many different artists displaying their work.
Don’t miss out in viewing just about every art genre and style this summer. The Bushwick Collective remains open to the public from 10am-5pm through the weekend.
14. Hunts Point (South Bronx)
The 200 foot long mural along a warehouse on Drake Street has become a graffiti mecca, curated by TATS Cru, a group of Veteran Bronx artists, who invited other creative artists from around the globe to throw up spray-painted masterpieces.
The walls in the industrial neighborhood of Hunts Point are among NYC’s most exciting and colorful pieces. Some of the murals are rooted in traditional graffiti while others cross eclectic genres.
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Another cool area to check out graffiti in the South Bronx is the Bronx Wall of Fame.
15. “100 Gates Project” (Lower East Side)
Catch NY’s largest public art outdoor gallery this summer with 100 Gates, a project canvassing the Lower East Side with original murals from local and international street artists.
Local resident Billy Rohan started the “100 Gates Project” in order to brighten the drab metal security gates with colorful murals.
How it works? Well, the project consists of pairing local artists with business owners who are interested in sponsoring a mural outside their storefront. So far, some 90 murals have gone up, ranging from rapper Ghostface Killah to actor Bill Murray from Ghostbusters.
Check out 10 Art Exhibits You Have to See This Summer in NYC
[Feature Image Courtesy Instagram]