The Leader

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Vibrant colors, geometric shapes, full scale shading are hallmarks of graffiti art. Produced with as much talent as mainstream art, graffiti has long been overshadowed with stories of gang connections, violent behavior, community distress and its illegal roots. Whether produced illegally or commissioned by private property owners, graffiti has become an integral part of a community's cultural expression. In Milwaukee, local artists and activists are working to construct positive ideas about graffiti art and are using the concepts of graffiti to revive community and personal expression.

Progressing from cave paintings to subway lines and vacant wall space, graffiti has held its ground for thousands of years. In the thirty years since New York spawned the first graffiti writers, this spray-paint based art form has acted as an outlet for political, cultural and personal progression through pieces thrown up on bridges and buildings. Today's youth and Hip-hop culture have adopted graffiti as an underground art and continue to showcase their ability within their communities, though most of it is done illegally.

"There is an underground side to graffiti that will always be there," asserts Sara Dollhausen, from T.R.U.E. Skool, a community outreach program. "The kids are interested in this multi million dollar industry that is everywhere from Sprite to Starburst. You've got media promoting it but when the youth do it, it's like- no, no, no." For the past two years, T.R.U.E. Skool has been working with youth, community members and artists to provide an outlet for legal graffiti art and overcome common graffiti art misconceptions through education, leadership and community events.

Community forums, school workshops and a push for legal walls have highlighted both sides of this sharply divided issue. Some see graffiti as an always-illegal practice that has more to do with vandalism than art. The divide between the artist community and the city has become more apparent as graffiti supporters try to break stereotypes of illegal tagging and bring the underground art form into the public eye. As Eliot White, local graffiti artist and co-founder of T.R.U.E. Skool explains, "It depends on which end of the community you are looking at, the local government not very embracing and has declared war on graffiti artists."

Milwaukee's city government continues to dole out harsh sentences for graffiti writers who write illegally. Though Milwaukee has less graffiti than most cites its size, the Anti-graffiti task force continues to heavily enforce anti-graffiti measures. Implemented in 1994, Milwaukee's Anti-graffiti Task Force, and "the mayor, common council, Department of Neighborhood Services, Department of Public Works, and the Milwaukee Police Department have implemented a zero tolerance plan involving eradication, education, enforcement, and restitution".

The city's plan of attack includes an anti-graffiti hot line, pamphlets on removing graffiti safely and a team, truck and soda blaster supplied by the Department of Public Works. Regarding graffiti on private property, the city relies on the property owners to clean it up. According to Milwaukee City regulations, "if the graffiti is not cleaned up in the required time, the department has the power to have the graffiti on the private property abated and place the charges for doing so on the owner's next tax bill".

Graffiti art, when done in a legal and sanctioned way, is a challenging, vibrant and community based art form. Eliot Smith and other local artists have painted commissioned murals within the community at BBC Bar & Grill, US Cellular and US World. Legal graffiti art provides an opportunity for local artists to display their art and while working in supportive environment. The team at T.R.U.E. Skool is working to provide areas and tools for local youth and artists to express themselves though paint. "We hope to gain areas throughout Milwaukee where we can work with youth and other organizations to teach them the foundation and the history behind the graffiti culture; then utilize some of the aspect of that art form in community murals." Dollhausen notes, "So, a lot of times we talk about rehabilitating our neighborhoods, but part of that is the look of the neighborhood. We try to do that through an art and healing concept".

Dollhausen and White define the T.R.U.E. Skool's goal as,"Providing [graffiti artists] with legal, safe places. We are trying to offer outlets for self-expression, just like any other form of art." Doullhousen also sees a connection between the lack of opportunities and illegal graffiti, "If you are not offering them outlets, you are going to see more illegal activity".

Milwaukee is known as a diverse and culturally based city that has a long tradition of supporting the arts. Though the illegal graffiti debate will long be fought, acknowledging graffiti/aerosol art as a legal art form is coming to the forefront. A happy medium is needed within the city, one that supports property owners' rights while upholding the artists' right to their work. Milwaukee graffiti artists see the need for Milwaukee to embrace its own graffiti culture while working with those enforcing the laws and regulations of the city. "If you look at the people on the east side and the murals that we did, the people love it," says White "Old, young, back, white, male, female--- they all enjoy what we are doing."

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