Done wrong, graffiti is a crime. But done right, and in a designated area, graffiti is an art.
The Graffiti Gallery hosted a battle of the elements graffiti competition today.
Winnipeg’s talented graffiti artists competed for a cash prize.
The youth art centre offers its space to kids and teens to spray paint and tag openly.
The graffiti battle Sunday focused on the outside of the building and giving it a fresh coat of paint.
Pat Lazo is one of the organizers of the event and says it’s a way for them to express themselves creatively.
“There’s a lot of other things they could be doing,” he said. “And painting on a sunny day on a building with permission is pretty cool thing for them to be a part of. They can see that their work is appreciated at this venue.”
Almost anywhere else, graffiti is a neighbourhood scourge and crime that police are cracking down on. A 19-year-old man arrested in St. Vital last week faces 140 counts of mischief; in a similar case last month another 19 year old is facing more than 80 counts for graffiti in the St. Boniface area.
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