Street Art Goes Inside

Street art has come a long way since it was known simply as "graffiti." But that's because in place of random tags and scribblings on a bathroom wall, this medium has developed into some of the modern world's most highly conceptual artworks. (Banksy's installations on Israel's West Bank wall come to mind.) While city authorities used to race to cover up these outdoor murals, today the world's most powerful are scooping up spray-painted panels and wheat-paste posters from Sotheby's and Christies for hundreds of thousands of dollar. My, oh my, has the world changed...

And while all that money flying around may seem ironic, considering street art's original goal was to subvert the system, we're happy that at least it also means street artists are starting to get the recognition they deserve. In fact, here in DC, they're about to get even more respect. A gallery devoted entirely to street art is opening today (July 11) at 7 p.m. at 2106 Vermont Ave. NW, just off of U Street. Owned by Ora Nwabueze, who also owns The Dunes, the gallery will open with a exhibition by local artist and Scoutmob favorite Brandon Hill.

Are you excited yet? We're so pumped it got us thinking about some of our other favorite street artists in DC. There's nothing like looking at pretty pictures to make your workday fly by faster.

Brandon Hill