After a surge ingraffiti vandalismduring the COVID-19 pandemic, a new initiative approved by the Vancouver City Council in May 2021 will finally allow artists to legally You can now draw on .
Jamie Hardy, also known as Smokey Devil, is one of his first street artists to break ground in the back alley of 133 West Pender Street.
Smoky D He told Global News on Sunday.
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A veteran street artist who has campaigned for city hall for years He said he was proud to start his first legal graffiti wall.
“If someone can choose to do it legally or illegally, they legally I think we will," Pete Fry of Vancouver County told Global News.
"I think it's way behind."
In the city of Vancouver, reports of offensive graffiti surged by more than 40 percent in 2020, Fry said, and a sanctioned The goal of the first graffiti wall is to provide a path and opportunity for graffiti artists to hone their craft.
READ MORE: Vancouver saw 70% spike in graffiti reports to 311 during COVID-19 pandemic{49
"In many cases, graffiti is almost like an addiction — it's a kind of forced risk-reward behavior," Fry said. 54} The story continues under the ad
"I think it provides a means for people to satisfy their urges, but it is part of the situation created by destroying private property." is not necessarily endangered.”
This project is coordinated by Trey Helten and the Overdose Prevention Society. The Overdose Prevention Society previously hired a street artist to exhibit graffiti on the Downtown East Side.
According to Helten, Vancouver The Native Housing Society has donated a lane wall for licensed graffiti and a community fundraiser is underway to supportartists with supplies and paints..
“We were trying to prioritize indigenous graph artists,” Herten told Global News.
"All the art here will be covered by other artists at some point."
Anyone can test their talents on the walls of West Pender's alleys. and even painting over Smokey D's work is fair game.
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"If so, as long as they're better than me, go ahead," said Smokey D.
. I was.
Fly said it hoped the concept could draw tourists to Toronto's Graffiti Alley attraction. It used to be tagged illegal, but is now being evaluated.
Meanwhile, street artists say that more legal barriers can reduce unsolicited graffiti.
"The street vandalism will be at least halved," said Smokey D.
READ MORE: 'Blinding and embarrassing': What will it take to stop Chinatown graffiti vandalism?
"I've been trying to tell them that for a long time, but let's see how this works as a prototype."
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Smokey D says he spent eight months in prison for tagging charges and wants to make legal graffiti his legacy. increase.
"Helping him achieve his life goals and having this available is really special to me," he said Helten. .
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