Graffiti Institute began in 2012 to provide a safe space for young people in Chicago to experiment with street art. Our programming emerged from the artistic and public educational practices of Pilsen-born artist Kane One. Over the years Graffiti Institute has evolved into a series of campaigns, projects and employment opportunities that is helping cultivate local youth talent to take over educating their own communities. 

Our work has included generating curriculum for and executing free graffiti courses for a wide age-range including, but not limited to, an intergenerational course at Mana Contemporary in partnership with University Illinois Chicago in 2014 and after school workshops with Walsh Elementary in partnership with the Chicago Art Department. We also provide professional development opportunities for art educators to better integrate equity lenses and community-centered practices. In 2016 we provided this training for Urban Gateways teaching artists. 

Once youth have participated in a certain amount of our programming, we support them in the development of a solo exhibition and other appropriate professional opportunities like partnering with corporations such as AT&T on campaigns or events. 

We’ve always served and continue to center youth of color, but recently we’ve shifted to prioritize providing artistic, educational and financial opportunities for undocumented, court-involved, trans, femme and queer. In turn, we create ways for this group of young folks to address and eradicate misogyny in graffiti. 

In light of the pandemic due to COVID-19, we paused programming to evaluate our projects and partnerships. This year, we are focusing on systems building so we can transition our work from operating as a series of one-off projects generated around our founder as an artist and nonprofit leader into a more cohesive organizational strategy. We’ve begun mapping out this strategic plan to better link our programmatic efforts around street art campaigns, public education and youth-led community plackeeping through art. Additionally, we have begun to develop a sustainability plan that better leverages existing corporate sponsorship relationships. 

Graffiti Institute is a community-centered public arts education and creative service organization founded in 2012. We seek to decolonize artmaking and create opportunities for young people in Chicago to safely experiment with street art. 

Graffiti Institute prioritizes serving geographic areas inhabited by youth of color who have been court-involved, are undocumented and identify as trans or queer. Our current programs are operating in Bronzeville, Pilsen and Garfield Park while receiving commercial projects that serve youth from a range of other neighborhoods.  

for inquiries, please email: info@graffitiinstitute.com