"ART FOR THE YOUNG AT HEART"

Dakota's Art brings articles, stories and original artwork by Dakota.
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Ever since I was little I have loved going to different cities
and countries to learn from people and places that were
different than what I was familiar with. My love for travel and
for learning about different cultures only grew as I got older
and eventually I went to university to study Urban and
International Development. I chose this major simply because it
would teach me about two of my favorite things: cities and other
countries. I will never forget entering my first urban studies
class and looking at the chalk board that said "Don't Look Past
Graffiti Art." on it.

I rolled my eyes and wondered what kind of crazy situation I
had gotten myself into with this class. I was intrigued that
any real professor whose expertise is in urban studies would
encourage let alone mandate that his students pay attention to
the graffiti art that practically ruined the look and feel of
many major cities in our country and around the world.

After a brief introduction of himself, the professor of that
class began the semester by showing us a slide show of graffiti
art from around the world. He played the entire show without
saying a word of explanation. When it was finished he simply
walked over to the chalk board and wrote another line
underneath what he had already written about paying attention
to graffiti art. He wrote: "Because it reveals the major issues
of that culture's youth."

I got out my notebook for the first time that semester and
wrote those two phrases onto the top of the first page. I was
still hesitant about where the professor could possibly be
taking an introduction like this, but I was more intrigued than
before after watching the slide show of graffiti art and
realizing just how artistic it truly was.

Our first assignment for that urban studies class was to find a
photograph of graffiti art that was from a major U.S. city and
to write a two page reflection on what we thought the graffiti
art revealed about that particular city's youth. I had no idea
when I chose a picture from Chicago and wrote about it just
what I was doing to shape the rest of my life.

To make a long story short, that urban studies class and
specifically our discussion of graffiti art revolutionized my
thinking about the peoples of the world. I learned that a
culture is revealed by small things like graffiti art that we
usually take as annoying when we visit somewhere. All that to
say, the next time you travel don't discount a city's graffiti
art as something ugly or offensive. Instead, see what you can
learn about the youth of that city through the graffiti art
because I guarantee there is much to be learned.

About The Author: Hallidae Thomason is now a professor of urban
studies at the same university she once attended. She loves
using graffiti art to teach her students a lesson about
culture. See http://www.aboutgraffitiart.info for more.