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The Street Museum of Art (SMoA) is a public art project aimed to challenge previous methods of exhibiting street art. As the rest of the art world begins to accept this urban medium, it is only becoming more apparent that street art inevitably resists containment. The question then should not be how can this inherently public art form be modified or replicated in order to fit within the confines of a museum, but rather how can the current model for contemporary art museums be re-examined to conform with the energy of street art?

 

The Street Museum of Art is the first public art project of its kind to adopt the guerrilla tactics of a street artist in a program of curated exhibitions. Mapped out by the placement of didactic labels, SMoA coexists with the vibrancy of New York City’s urban environment. Rather than trying to displace the public works of art within a gallery setting, this project offers a new way to view the city while acting as a catalyst for future public street art exhibitions.

The Street Museum of Art calls for you to take part in this action by helping to create the first truly public art museum. Blank, self-adhesive labels are available to the public on The Street Museum of Art’s website — ready to be filled out with a personal description and posted around the city. All photos submitted of the found works of art with their labels will then be added to SMoA’s collection, documenting the progress of this project. As The Street Museum of Art encourages the public to begin visually exploring the city through this new lense, the labels provided will act as a tool that allow others to take a stand in voicing their support for a new level of awareness and appreciation for this radical art movement. In doing so, the Street Museum of Art proposes a new museum model that exists without the confines of white gallery walls, high admission fees, or intimidating building façades but is instead fully immersed within the fabric of society.

To contribute to the collection, submit a photo of the work with a detail of the label and where it is located to join@streetmuseumofart.org.