While on the topic, I thought I’d take the opportunity to showcase this Flickr group highlighting some local graffiti art. One of my favourites:
Also, make sure to check out the Facebook group, Lethbridge Graffiti Safe Walls:
The goal of this group is to urge Lethbridge City council to provide “safe” areas in the city for street artists and to promote RESPONSIBLE and LEGAL graffiti in Southern Alberta.
Lethbridge graffiti artists can now look forward to (one day) requesting permits or risk paying $10,000 in fines after losing their only graffiti-safe area.
Parks Operations Manager Kevin Jensen has convinced City Council to toughen its graffiti bylaw, banning local artists from practicing their craft at the city’s skatepark.
“This whole thing about free walls or graffiti areas, like skateboard parks, are proven by studies not to work effectively. They have a tendency to attract illegal graffiti in surrounding areas and they act as a social network for the graffiti vandals,” said Jensen.
Somehow I doubt this will deter people from tagging the area, but it may prove to be a beneficial source of revenue for the city.