From the floor to the ceiling, the main gallery at Schack Art Center is filled with a never-before-seen collection of graffiti art recreated by the pioneering artists who made their mark in history with energetic, rule-demolishing street art from across the nation. Vibrant color and intense energy characterize more than 60 large canvases recreated and preserved in an exciting, one-of-a-kind exhibit.

The first of its magnitude in the Pacific Northwest, this massive display was made possible by one collector who prefers to remain anonymous. Some of the most renowned names in graffiti art were invited to his home to recreate their masterpieces. Street artists from the famed to the incognito answered the call to recreate their genre-defining graffiti art on large canvases. From a medium characterized by its transience, these pieces have been selected to be preserved and admired.

This rare display now affords guests an opportunity to view the pieces in their full and original character, and draw inspiration from the creative vitality of art that was once boldly written on surfaces in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Phoenix, Boston, New York and other cities across the country. Among those to contribute are some of the earliest creatives in the medium, including Darryl McCray, better known as Cornbread, who, along with his friends, spurred a graffiti movement by affixing their monikers to walls across the city of Philadelphia. The phenomenon that began in the late 1960s would spread to New York and blossom into a modern graffiti movement that reached its peak in the early 1980s.

Beneath Riverside Park in Manhattan, New York, years of disuse enabled one tunnel to become the home of ambitious creations by artists like Chris Pape, aka Freedom, who is among the artists featured at Schack. The Freedom Tunnel, as it would come to be known, now houses an immense variety of graffiti art. Commissioned by the collector, Chris recreated four of his original pieces which are now displayed in the American Graffiti exhibit.

Whether adorning the walls of the Freedom Tunnel of Manhattan or hastily sprayed on a highway overpass, graffiti proclaims a timeless message from the heart of every artist: we will make our mark. Long before the street art style was accepted by the world of galleries and fine art, graffiti artists let their message erupt onto any surface that would proclaim it.

The pieces featured at Schack showcase a fierce and expressive energy that broke all the rules and continues to lend its influence to numerous artists today. Surrounding this collection is a history of creative work that, while discouraged and unacknowledged by many, has invigorated the unheard to fearlessly create and express their message. For a new generation of artists in Everett, these pieces not only embolden and inspire, but define what it means to break through limitations.

The American Graffiti exhibit and new murals at Schack Art Center are part of a series of summer art projects intended to liven up downtown Everett. In conjunction with this event, JAG ArtWorks will be featuring local graffiti artists in partnership with Schack. The West Coast Graffiti Exhibition features artists from all along the coast and will run alongside the American Graffiti exhibit until both conclude on Sept. 5, 2020.

Drop by Schack Art Center this summer for inspiration, excitement and a little taste of art unleashed in this unbeatable, historical collection.

Schack Art Center, 2921 Hoyt Ave. Everett, WA 98201

American Graffiti exhibit: June 25 – Sept. 5, 2020

Special thanks to Schack Art Center and Josh Jones for the exhibit photos.

Story by Jared Doolittle, City of Everett intern