Growing up in a small, rural Pennsylvania town that was a bit down on its luck in the 1970s and ’80s, I didn’t see a whole lot of public art or street art until I was older. During my childhood, the public art in my area was limited, and any graffiti that showed up in the nearby small cities of Scranton (population: about 70,000) and Wilkes-Barre (pop: about 40,000) was not very artistic–pretty much just a scrawled name, or “tag,” done by a kid without a lot of creative skill. I was fortunate enough to visit Washington, DC; Baltimore; New York; Philadelphia; and several countries in Europe as a youth and teen, which opened my eyes not only to sanctioned public art but also to street art: nonsanctioned artistic graffiti and painting done by self-trained, underground artists. While unofficial street art is still showing up in cities around the world, recent decades have also seen many underground graffiti artists going more mainstream, with sanctioned public graffiti and/or street art murals.

Today, one of my friends posted the video below on social media, and it reminded me of my love of this art form. Although I love a good museum or gallery and appreciate many forms and genres of art, from the classic to the modern to the representative to the abstract, I will always have a soft spot for street art: It allows people who may not visit museums and art galleries, whether it’s because there aren’t many in their communities, they don’t have the time or money to spend on art-viewing, or it just isn’t something they feel drawn to, to see and appreciate art. Street art brings creativity and color to public spaces where everyone can enjoy it (or critique it if it’s not to their liking). Street art also adds character and life to places that may otherwise be drab or colorless. It allows nontraditional and activist artists to have a voice.

After seeing this video, I felt inspired to read a little about the history of street art. The origins of street art in the United States grew out of illegal graffiti done by gangs in major cities starting in the 1920s and ’30s. In places like New York, this underground graffiti reached a peak in the 1970s and for the establishment was a sign of the blight, crime, and decay that many American cities were experiencing. However, many people felt inspired and empowered by urban graffiti as a way to create through destruction, as well as a form of subversive rebellion by young city residents who sought to make their voices heard, put their talent out there for others to see, and feel a sense of control over their environment. Many graffiti and street artists were making political and social statements with their work, a trend that continues today.

One renowned documenter of New York graffiti and street art is photojournalist and photographer Martha Cooper. Her first book, Subway Art (with Henry Chalfant), has been reprinted multiple times and is affectionately called “The Bible” by graffiti artists. This website highlights some of the more well-known graffiti and street artists around the world. Although I love their work and find it both provocative and beautiful, I do wish it featured more female artists. This site highlights some of the talented women who create both sanctioned and underground street art.