Stencil Archive

Out of Style: Street art event, organizer rebuffed after controversy
by Alexis Terrazas
For El Tecolote

Artists from across the globe who arrived in the Bay Area expecting to participate in a three-day street art festival were shocked to learn it had been abruptly cancelled.

The Meeting of Styles Art Festival 2016, which was set to take place at various alleys and streets throughout the Mission District on Sept. 16-18, was unanimously denied the necessary permits by the Interdepartmental Staff Committee on Traffic and Transportation (ISCOTT) due to growing community concern about the event, and questionable actions involving the event’s organizer, Lisa Jo Brewer.

“This year something happened,” Brewer told El Tecolote via telephone on Sept. 16. “I can’t really put my finger on it, but there’s this small organization in town here in the Mission, and they were dead set against it.”

The small organization Brewer referred to is the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District, which fielded a number of complaints from residents and organizations concerning property damage following last year’s Meeting of Styles event.

This story, where a gallery owner allegedly doesn't pay artists, is a good addition to the Stencil Archive legal feed. Before I saw this Vandalog post (with links to statements made) pop up on my social media streams, I overheard a reporter ask Shepard Fairey about it while I was watching his mural go up in Hayes Valley. Fairey replied, on the record, that he had heard about Justin Giarla's plight. "He owes me money too, but I don't really need it," Fairey said. "What makes me sad is all the money he owes to the artists that really need it." A few days later, a link showed up with more of the story, including past and future litigation over money owed to artists from Giarla's various galleries. Moral of the story: ARTIST BEWARE!

Justin Giarla closes galleries, moves to Portland, allegedly screws over his artists
by RJ Rushmore for Vandalog

There was a time not to long ago when Justin Giarla loomed large over the street art/graffiti/low-brow/Juxtapoz-friendly art scene in San Fransisco. He owned three galleries simultaneously: White Walls Gallery, Shooting Gallery, and 941 Geary. All three closed quietly earlier this year, with their final shows opening in February. The building was sold. Last month, Giarla and his girlfriend Helen Bayly packed up their things, apparently abandoned his truck on the side of the road, and skipped town for Portland. That’s when the truth finally became public: Giarla hadn’t been paying his artists.

<< Know this artist? Please let us know their name.

>NEW< E! (Berlin)
>NEW< Evol (Tiny Cities)
>NEW< KUSEK (Berlin)
>NEW< Lembo (Berlin)
>NEW< Long Legs (Berlin)… Anyone know this artist’s name? Long Legs is temporary until someone figures this out! - R

Robi the Dog (just one)
ROLF (just one)
SOBR
XOOOOX (just one)

Meanwhile, in North America...

Shepard Fairey (just one, with a cut out)
Oakland, CA (just one)
Mexico (DF; just one; gracias, Chris)
Ohio (just one, for the Donald)
And one for Hillary In Media

The folks at FoundSF/Shaping SF have been scanning neighborhood newspapers here in San Francisco and putting them online at Archive.org. Lisaruth from Shaping SF was nice enough to pass along this 1994 issue of the New Mission News, which included a great article about Scott Williams and his public/exhibited stencil art. Go here for the full article.

An excerpt: Williams's work has a "distinctiveness to it not found in any other work of its kind. It lies in a wildly imaginative juxtaposition of disparate images and traditions that you'd never expect to see in the same space."

Part 1 (more coming soon)

Mostly Berlin (thanks Esmeralda, for the keen eye and assistance)

Netherlands (thanks for your submissions, Alicia)

Belgium (thanks again, Alicia)