As part of ART BITES series of programming, the AAWR is proud to present The History of Street Art with Roger Gastman and Bob Peck on Saturday, August 18th, 1:00 – 4:00pm at 78th Street Studios

This two-part presentation will cover both the regional graffiti/street art scene as well as the broader history of street art on a national and international level.

Cleveland artist Bob Peck began his long career with street art and is considered one of the region’s leading experts in the genre. Peck has exhibited his abstract, graffiti-inspired paintings in galleries for over a decade and has been creating commissioned public art and murals for nearly twenty years. Peck’s portion of the presentation will focus on the history of Cleveland graffiti from the 1980\’s to present day. It will showcase photos of regional work, spotlight local artists/crews and even include a few harrowing stories of “close calls and sketchy situations” while painting. Click HERE to watch a video on Peck\’s work.

Roger Gastman, one graffiti’s foremost international authorities, will place the regional street art scene into a larger national and global context. Gastman is a curator, graffiti historian, urban anthropologist and collector who Forbes says “has made a career of being the cultural connector between street artists and the art world.” Gastman founded and co-published Swindle magazine with Shepard Fairey, co-authored The History of American Graffiti and co-produced the Oscar-nominated Banksy documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop. His most recent project, BEYOND THE STREETS (BTS) is the premier exhibition of graffiti, street art and beyond and features over 100 artists including Shepard Fairey, Jason REVOK, FUTURA 2000, LADY PINK, Lee Quiñones, INVADER, HAZE, SWOON, Guerrilla Girls, Barry McGee, Stephen Powers, CHAZ, FAILE, Kenny Scharf, Dash Snow, Jenny Holzer, C.R. Stecyk III, Felipe Pantone, Maripol, RETNA, Gordon Matta-Clark, Martha Cooper, TAKI 183 plus Dennis Hopper, Takashi Murakami, and Mark Mothersbaugh. BTS opened to the public in Los Angeles on May 6, 2018 and will be on view until July 6th.

The History of Street Art with Roger Gastman and Bob Peck is free and open to the public, courtesy of a matching grant by Cuyahoga Arts and Culture (CAC). Please register HERE ON EVENTBRITE or by calling our offices, 216.721.9020 or emailing info@artistsarchives.org to reserve your spot.

The Artists Archives of the Western Reserve would also like to thank Ohio Arts Council, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, Ohio Art Dealers Association, the George Gund Foundation, the Bernice & David E. Davis Foundation, the William Bingham Foundation and the Zufall Foundation for their continuing support.

Image: Bob Peck, Monster Truck Mural