About
Our Mission
Graff Tours Is an interactive street art and graffiti experience where participants get to work along side local artists to create beautiful graffiti artworks and admire the amazing murals and street art all around us. We begin with a street art tour showcasing the best street art murals learning the process and stories behind the artworks as you immerse yourself in hip hop culture. Following the tour, we go inside our art studio to do a graffiti Workshop where participants gets a hands on tutorial on how to work with spray paint before creating their very own works of art.
Graff Tours’ mission is to connect people with the street art and graffiti culture. Our talented staff showcase this misunderstood craft. We offer people an opportunity to interact directly with artists through graffiti art lessons, street art tours, or custom events where we live paint right in front of the audience.
Our company promotes the appreciation of street art via urban art explorations (tours). Our explorations showcase murals, illegal art, and information on the artists and their process. Our tours adapt to the art as it is being created and changed, creating an ever-changing tour of the art of the streets.
We teach the graffiti craft via graffiti art lessons. We set up a legal forum to explore aerosol spray, techniques, and artistic expression. Lessons are a unique opportunity to try your hand at graffiti. You can do the lessons with others or sign up for private instruction.We also offer team building workshops for corporate groups and create customized events for openings, parties, and other live painting opportunities.
Our Staff
LEAF
Graffiti Writer in ResidenceLeaf (real name not disclosed) is originally from Upstate NYC but has made NYC his home for the past 5 years. When he is not doing tours and lessons for Graff Tours, Leaf has been known to leave his mark throughout the city. Look left or right from any JMZ subway stop and you are bound to see one of this prolific artist’s tags. Check out more of his work here
Staff 161
Graffiti Artist in ResidenceEddie aka Staff 161 is a pioneering graffiti artist whose tag was one of the first to appear on a New York City Subway Car. Staff is considered to be the first one to use charchter as part of his graffiti pieces on a NYC Subway Train. Most famous for his grim reaper and Staff Checker Board, Staff continues to create great art and showcase the history of the art form for all those that cross his path. Check out his insta here.
Bytegirl
Street Art PhotographerAudrey, aka Bytegirl, is a life-long photographer and a self-professed history nerd. Photographing artists at work is her passion and she has an unquestionable knowledge of the street art scene in NYC. Friends with many of the artists and often a den mother to those visiting from out of town when she isn’t leading tours, she is likely to be found somewhere on the streets watching paint dry. You can check out her insta: here
Gabriel Schoenberg
Founder and ManagerI was studying abroad in Argentina, and I saw my first street art tour. So when I moved back to NYC, I quickly adopted the idea and created a street art tour here in NYC combining my experience in tourism (my family business) with my passion for street art. I have traveled the world documenting graffiti in places like France, Israel, and Puerto Rico. I live in Bushwick Brooklyn setting up commissions, producing graffiti events, and running Graff Tours.