The Top 5 Street Art Events of 2015
5. Owen Dippie Leaves his Mark on NYC
From new festivals, to a 6 year old artist hitting the streets, we have seen great street art in 2015. This past summer played host to the Bushwick Collective block party and another Welling Court Mural festival, but neither of these awesome events overshadowed Owen’s presence here in NYC. It was a blessing to see his art appropriations (mash-ups) hit the streets including a mixture of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Jay-Z and another of Keith Haring and Raphael.
Renaissance Turtles by Owen Dippie
Radiant Madonna by Owen Dippie for the Bushwick Collective
Owen Dippie’s Jay-Z and Basquiat Mural for the Bushwick Collective
4. Coney Island Art Walls opens to the Public
Famed curator, art adviser and “Art In The Streets” exhibit front-man Jeffrey Deitch and Joseph J. Sitt have curated a fabulous public art walls project in the middle of Coney Island, Brooklyn steps from the boardwalk and behind Nathans’ Famous Hot Dogs at 1320 Bowery Street. The project will feature the debut of Smorgasburg Coney Island, with 12 diverse food vendors presented by the founders of the popular food market. Deitch gathered some of the most prominent street artists in the world to create more than 20 wall murals for Coney Art Walls. Artists who have completed pieces include, How and Nosm, Daze, Crash, Lady Pink, Jesse Ward, Futura, IRAK, Skewville and a Shepard Fairey wheat paste.
Lady Pink creates her wall for Coney Island
3. Space Invader re-invades NYC
Andy Warhol Space Invader
Joey Ramone Invader in Bushwick
Ninja Turtle Invader
The Beatles Mosaic
2. The First Ever LOMAN Arts Festival Takes Place
In the past years, many artists have been pushed away to the outer boroughs because of higher prices and lower rents. The Lower Manhattan Arts Festival (LOMAN) was created to bring back an artistic energy to Manhattan. Though the events of the festival only last a few days, the resulting artwork left a permanent, and extremely positive, mark on downtown Manhattan’s neighborhoods. The festival included film screenings, panel discussions, a live graffiti battle, and more murals than one could count. The festival is curated by The L.I.S.A Project NYC and created over 20 walls mostly surrounding Little Italy.
Solus x Crash for the LOMAN Arts Festival and The L.I.S.A Project
Beau Stanton for The LOMAN Arts Festival and The L.I.S.A Project
1. The Summer of Os Gemos
After completing the massive mural above, the artists had a chance to collaborate with JR whose massive wheatpastes have become big hits in NYC. JR completed two giant “eyes” off the High Line and even a set of them inside Ellis Island. Os Gemeos painted vandals putting up a JR paste up in this years best collaboration.
Os Gemeos x JR Collaboration on the Lower East Side – Photocred: JR Website
For the month of August, Os Gemeos brought their iconic animated characters in the form of video art to Times Square. In Parallel Connection, the artists interacted with audiences through Times Square’s electronic billboards from 11:57 pm to midnight each night. This project was a part of Midnight Moment, a monthly presentation by The Times Square Advertising Coalition (TSAC) and Times Square Arts to bring some art to the otherwise capitalistic Times Square. Check out the video they produced for Times Square Below.
Os Gemeos Panorama of Times Square during Midnight Moment
2015 was incredible year for NYC Street art. We can’t wait for 2016 to get started.