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The Untourist's Guide to The City (DON'T PANIC)
Canada is slipping summer over its head, dropping the dust coloured sweater of Winter to the floor as it walks out the door. I regret my neglect of this blog, in part because I have been travelling -...
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Oh Canada! Big Ups (and Downs)
My partner and I included a morning visit to the Tech Wall early Canada Day before losing ourselves in the crowd, doing a jig to Great Big Sea, and overpaying for hot dogs and cold beer.As we pulled up...
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Weird Science - The Public Relations of Graffiti Wars
One of the reasons why I started blogging about graffiti was because I was getting frustrated with the abuse of 'research' by city counsellors who promise impossible things like "graffiti eradication"...
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"The Message" and the Merchants
Strange times are approaching for those of you who find yourself in a mall looking for a replacement pair of flip flops. It's July, and the fall 'hard sell' of back to school is upon us. Of course,...
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Connect! House of PainT
House of PainT is growing into a huge celebration of urban art, style, dance and groovy people in the sun; this week it all comes together.Today the Market area got a lunchtime helping of pop and lock...
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House of PainT Connects Funk with the City of Ottawa
Mike Gall and Sabra Ripley, along with an army of volunteers and community partners, put together an amazing invitation to anyone curious about the urban art and music scene this weekend. Preceding...
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The Art (and Irony) of War & Peace
Two steps forward, one back...wayyyy back.While this past weekend marked another highly successful House of PainT urban arts festival, The City of Ottawa demonstrated - once again - its short...
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Thank Heavens for Little Vandals! (or "TAG! You're it!")
My blog has been leaning a bit heavy to the legal side of graffiti over the past few weeks, so I thought it must be time to talk about those bits of graff that seem to inspire ire in some folks. If you...
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Tough Debates Easy Targets
As I was picking my anklebiters from the world's best baby-sitter, I was greeted by a chorus of kids telling me that I was in a magazine! Ah, and as it turns out, today is the day my response to the...
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Just Sign Here...
One of my favourite things to watch in town is the "Legal Graffiti Sign" at the Tech Wall (Piece Park), downtown Ottawa. The city posted their sign before the spring thaw this year - these are some...
View ArticleThe Quest for Agora through Costco
This week I received an email from someone who read my response in the Costco Connections magazine debate:"Should we get tougher on graffiti". While the author is clearly annoyed with me, I think he...
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Fall Down Gallery: Playin' In the Key of Awesome...
The city might be bundled under the white stuff right now, but that doesn't mean that the graffiti scene in Ottawa is in hibernation. This city has struggled over the last few decades with a fear of...
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An Open Invitation to Jan Harder, Councillor for Barrhaven
Today, the Ottawa Citizen is reporting on a rescue by local fire rescue workers. They saved a young man who nearly died, apparently, from jumping in the Ottawa river after being pursued by OC Transpo...
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Running on Empty
One of the cool things about my life: good friends are always sending me interesting stuff about graffiti (music, and running...). A fellow running enthusiast recently sent me this gem: "Graffiti Me...
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Running on Empty: Part 2
This post is for those who were curious about my query into how the anti-graffiti Graffiti Me Run Series was doing in finding a charity to give money to. I have news! (My Email exchange with organizers...
View ArticleRunning on Empty: Part 3
Mercifully this will not be in 3D..I was contacted today by a friend looking for someone to join him in commenting on the 'Colour Vibe/Graffiti Me' Run taking place this rainy fall Saturday, and the...
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Ensure the City of Ottawa Fosters Safe Creative Communities without...
(Press Release) The City of Ottawa is set to announce a new initiative to ‘deter graffiti’ on November 2 at City Hall (11am). Given the municipality’s problematic and expensive graffiti legislation...
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The Vinyl Solution: Branding Streets & Writers
Amidst a cold fall rain, The City of Ottawa's Mayor and downtown councillors held a press release to announce their latest strategy for managing graffiti. The pilot project that will see many of the...
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Subterranean Homesick Blues
Long time no post, eh? My apologies for not updating sooner. Special thanks to Jon for reminding me that its time for me to get back to my blogging duties. To be honest: though, this is a post that is...
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Climb that Wall
House of Paint Photo Credit: LandryThe wall got a little bit smaller today.I just got word today that the City of Ottawa and The Ottawa School Board, which hosts one of Ottawa's historic legal walls,...
View ArticleBack to School with House of Paint
The dust is barely settling from the House of Paint's 10 year celebration, and the party was inspiring! Before the big celebration, I was invited to chat with CBC Communications Officer Joanne...
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Kill Graffiti
Neither markings pictured above were done with permission; both have been up for a significant amount of time; both 'replicate' (similar images/writing appear elsewhere in the city, although not...
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Mayor Jim Watson: Building (and Painting) Bridges
Its time to give props when it appears that there is a change happening in this city's approach to street art. A bright student of mine e-mailed me an article from The Ottawa Citizen that suggests...
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#BlackLivesMatter & Graffiti
Tuesday of this week, BlakCollectiv painted the message “Black Lives Matter” on the legal wall on the corner of Bronson and Slater. Photo Credit: Haley Ritchie/MetroBy the next day, the mural was...
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