Empowering The Creative Youth of Winnipeg.
“My people will sleep for one hundred years, but when they wake, it will be the artists who give them back their spirits”- Louis Riel
The Best of Times Are Now refers to one of Winnipeg’s first public aerosol murals, painted in 1994 in Osborne Village on Winnipeg’s first legal wall. This location and the participating artists were at the forefront of Winnipeg’s graffiti movement, a community built through the need to self-source reference materials and inspiration without resources such as the internet, and with limited access to self-published graffiti magazines. Instead, artists relied on their obsession as the driving force to practice their tag, or nom de plume, repeating it thousands of times in sketchbooks, on walls, bus benches, and foggy bathroom mirrors and windows, eventually practicing two-colour outlines and more complicated wild style works.
The Best of Times Are Now, is intended as a historical archive, featuring over 100 enlarged photographs documenting a glimpse of local graffiti history. In addition, the original vintage photo album from Frenzee in 1994 will be on display.
THE BEST OF TIMES ARE NOW
February 2 - April 22, 2024
Step back in time to pre-1998, to obscure places such as back alleys and beneath bridges. In pre-internet and smartphone eras graffiti was documented only by those who knew where to find it, and the photographs themselves served as artifacts attesting to marks made by graffiti artists, which were often ephemeral in nature.
ACCESSIBILITY
Graffiti Gallery is committed to ensuring our gallery and activities are as accessible as possible, for as many people as possible.
We believe that people have the right to feel safe and included at all Graffiti Gallery events regardless of age, ancestry, colour, family status, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, seen/unseen disability, place of origin, race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or source of income.
🕰 Gallery Opening Hours
Monday to Friday 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Wednesday 12:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Saturday 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
“Eminem’s music saved my life, he’s the reason I started rapping and writing rhymes. I want to make music to do the same thing for someone who has been down that same road. I want to inspire them to never give up on their dreams and to find something they’re good at; Like a lawyer or doctor, or a big time music artist like me”
— Jimmy The Jamster
The Blog
Be part of the movement. tune in to all the new activities and events.
Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates.