Petition to save Baltimore\'s Graffiti Alley

To: Baltimore City officials,

We, the Undersigned, call for \"Graffiti Alley\", located in between West North Ave. and 19th 1/2 St. and in between North Howard St. and Maryland Ave. in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District, to be preserved as a legal art space open for the public to use.

Graffiti Alley is the only legal art space in Baltimore City where street artists can create their work freely without fear of prosecution. Creativity and artistic collaborations flourish in the alley as street artists, young and old, create piece over piece and modify existing works of art. Many art teachers, including those from MICA and Baltimore City schools, bring their students to Graffiti Alley to learn about street art and graffiti. Photographers, models, filmmakers, and musicians also travel from all over the East Coast to conduct photo shoots and film music videos in the alley.

Many major metropolitan areas in the U.S. have legal art spaces that are open for the public to use. These legal art spaces, such as 5 Pointz in New York City and Wynwood in Miami, are not only major tourist attractions, but centers for experimental art, art education, and political expression. Similar to these locations, Graffiti Alley is the voice of many individuals and this voice must not be shut down by wave of a development.

Preserve Graffiti Alley!