Downtown Trenton celebrates graffiti culture with a week of community events 

The wisps of aerosol cans and vibrant bursts of color will fill the air along East State Street next week as part of a new public arts initiative dedicated to the evolution and cultural influence of graffiti and street art. 

“Downtown Gets Up” kicks off a week-long series of free public events, from June 8 – 14, with five large-scale public art installations featuring internationally recognized artists CRASH, Ron English, Queen Andrea, Wane One, and Trenton’s own Leon Rainbow. 

Known for his captivating murals and bold, visual narratives, Leon Rainbow, or “aerosoleon,” as he often signs, has made quite a sizeable impact in the community through the years. In addition to his artistic endeavors, he mentors others through creative workshops and has helped organize community events, including the Jersey Fresh Jam. 

“Just to have Ron English, Wane, CRASH, Queen Andrea come to the city to do murals is super exciting to me,” Leon said. “Just to have artists of that caliber that are world-renowned to come to the city, to me, is really important.”

Leon first moved to Trenton in 1997 and studied art at Mercer County Community College before painting his first few murals in 1999. Inspired by early hip-hop culture and underground documentaries like Style Wars, he worked hard to elevate his craft and, after years of dedication, helped cultivate the city’s graffiti and arts scene.  

“When we started doing murals, we went to the neighborhoods where basically everybody didn’t want to go,” Leon said, explaining how his goal was always to beautify blighted areas around the city. 

He established himself in the community and, through his collaborations and connections, continues to bring public art into neighborhoods across the city while creating new opportunities for emerging artists.

“The whole city seems very supportive of what we do,” he said. “You know, of course, there’s probably going to be a few people here and there that might not like it, but for the most part, everyone has been really supportive.” 

“Downtown Gets Up” will also feature a screening of the film Living in Delusionville and a Q&A with Ron English on June 11, followed by a discussion of public art and community on June 13, moderated by critic and curator Carlo McCormick and featuring renowned gallerist Jonathan LeVine, public arts manager and curator Jenn Hampton, Ron English and Leon Rainbow, followed by a public artist reception in celebration of the finished works.

The week-long open-air exhibition is the first in a series of programs presented by The American Graffiti Museum, a new nonprofit institution celebrating “graffiti, street art, and the desire to leave a mark,” and supported in part by funding awarded through Phase II of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s Activation, Revitalization and Transformation program. 

Daniel R. Brenna Jr., founder of The American Graffiti Museum, said the institution is dedicated to celebrating the artists, telling the stories, and documenting the impact of a movement that changed the way people see and experience art around the world. 

“‘Downtown Gets Up’ gives us the chance to introduce our vision in a way that feels true to the art and true to Trenton,” Brenna said in a statement. 

Plans call for a 100,000-square-foot nonprofit museum within Trenton’s Creek to Canal Creative District dedicated to the preservation, study, and celebration of graffiti, street art, and related forms of public expression.

The museum was one of 39 projects selected by the NJEDA as part of the competitive $15 million program, which awarded grants to organizations in 15 municipalities around the state.

Barbara Bickart, senior advisor of arts and culture with the Economic Development Authority, said the project reflects the agency’s belief that the arts serve as a powerful economic tool.

“We are leveraging the superpower of the arts and culture sector to create economic stimulus and community engagement,” Bickart said. “It brings folks out to participate. It’s a high-energy event that is going to activate a whole bunch of spaces in downtown Trenton.”

The series continues with two iconic documentary film screenings, beginning with Style Wars on June 27, followed by a Q&A with producer Henry Chalfant, and Wild Style on Aug. 14, followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Charlie Ahearn.

Programming resumes Sept. 12 with a community-wide celebration dedicated to the birth of hip-hop, featuring live music, dance performances, art, food, vendors, and more. The series continues Sept. 19 with a screening of the upcoming documentary Mecca: The New York City Graffiti Chronicle and the opening of the ART 2 exhibition.

After the screening, join documentary filmmaker Eric “DEAL” Felisbret, guest curator Carlo McCormick, and gallerist Jonathan LeVine for a discussion about bringing together many of the artists and cultural figures who helped shape graffiti’s evolution from an underground movement into a global art form.

Presented in collaboration with The American Graffiti Museum, Jonathan LeVine Projects, and Hanover Creative Gallery, the ART 2 exhibition pairs works from participating artists with those by artists from the broader regional art community. A portion of the proceeds from exhibition sales will help support the museum.