Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Brooklyn Museum Cancels Graffiti Show
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Jun 21, 2011
Modified Jun 21, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Farzad Owrang/MoCA
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Jun 21, 2011
Modified Jun 21, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Remember way back in April, when we heard about the Brooklyn Museum's plans to host "Art In The Streets," a graffiti and street art-themed exhibition? The one that got the Daily News all riled up about "giving the destruction of other people's property a hallowed place in high-art halls?" Well, looks like we won't be seeing works from Fab 5 Freddy and Swoon in the Museum's hallowed halls, after all—the Museum has canceled the exhibition.
"This is an exhibition about which we were tremendously enthusiastic, and which would follow appropriately in the path of our Basquiat and graffiti exhibitions in 2005 and 2006, respectively. It is with regret, therefore, that the cancellation became necessary due to the current financial climate. As with most arts organizations throughout the country, we have had to make several difficult choices since the beginning of the economic downturn three years ago," said Brooklyn Museum Director Arnold L. Lehman in a press release.
LA Weekly spoke to someone "intimately familiar" with the show, currently on display at LA's Museum of Contemporary Art, who said that "It could be a combination that the Museum is afraid of the show and the negative press it could bring them," before asking, "Why would New York not want this show? I don't believe that someone would not pay for this exhibit."
In LA, the show was linked to a spike in graffiti-related arrests. A Brooklyn Museum spokesperson told us crime concerns had "absolutely nothing" to do with the cancellation, saying "It's a huge, sprawling show that would be very expensive to transport here and install. We had hoped that we would be able to secure funding but it turned out to not be possible. It's unfortunate, because we were all very keen on this show."
Tagged
art
art in the streets
brooklyn museum
cancel
exhibit
graffiti
street art
Jamie Feldmar
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Inside the hidden chamber that controls Lincoln Center's magnificent fountain
Gothamist went behind the scenes to learn how the NYC landmark keeps its majestic waters flowing.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 23, 2026
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."
By
James Ramsay
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
By
Hannah Frishberg
A new film invites you to eavesdrop on one of the greatest conversations in NYC history
By
Sonia Rao
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .