Living in such a melting-pot city as Chicago, you can experience all types of cultures everywhere in the city. Even though the graffiti scene hit Chicago in the late 80’s it still remains a vibrant culture. Even though graffiti is illegal in Chicago that doesn’t stop graffiti artist from displaying their art work in the public canvas that has become of the city. The war on graffiti in Chicago has been a constant back and forth of 20 years, between the graffiti removal crews to the graffiti artist themselves (Knight ,2011). In 2011 it was estimated that the city “[was going to] spend $5.5 million to remove graffiti… despite a $487 million budget deficit” (Knight ,2011). Meaning that regardless of the deficit Chicago is willing to add on 5 million dollars more just to cover the city in a mix-matched brown paint. The money that is being spent in painting the city in a dull color can be used to fund afterschool programs in the CPS system since extracurricular are being taken away. The 5 million that is being spent on removing graffiti can be used in many different ways that benefit the communities more than having the vibrant colors drowned in matte brown, beige, and or gray buff.
In Chicago there is handful of programs that involve graffiti and the youth. The incorporation of graffiti for community unity and beautification has been a success in low-income communities. There is a specific program that really caught my attention while I was researching, this program is called Graffiti Zone. It is an afterschool program that uses graffiti art as a way to serve children in low-income neighborhoods make a positive change in their communities through murals. It also provides a positive area where the kids can feel safe and express themselves through art.
Students can become very involved in programs such as Graffiti Zone because they offer programs throughout the school year and during the summer. This facility is open to kids from all communities to go and use. Another way to get involved would be log on to www.graffitizone.org and leave contact information or call (773)319-3112 to be able to become a volunteer or to make a connection for murals around the city of Chicago. The more art connections are made throughout the city the more beautiful it will become.