Graffiti Attic showcases art from local artists to help stop the stigma surrounding graffiti
Located at Union Station, Graffiti Attic provides a safe space and a sense of community for graffiti artists in Kansas City
By Liz
At the Attic, a painting of a worn down house is done by UMKC graduate, artist Danny Roaming. According to his Instagram (@dannyg_roaming), Roaming is a Hispanic-American who speaks out about the unjust treatment involving ICE through his art.
October 20, 2021
The Graffiti Attic at Union Station aims to give graffiti artists a safe place to put up their art and to bring people together through art.
The art on display at the Graffiti Attic includes a wide array of mediums, themes, and colors. It is located on the 7th floor of Union Station and is available to the public from 2:00 – 9:00 PM on the first Friday of each month.
Sophomore Grace Cormany visited the Graffiti Attic and enjoyed the many different political and social issues they covered.
The art “shined this light on graffiti artists that really haven’t had that opportunity to shine in the spotlight,” Cormany said.
The Graffiti Attic provides a haven for artists to put up their work. A member of the group running the Graffiti Attic, Ellie Long, says that there is often a lot of fear associated with putting up graffiti.
“Some don’t have a connection to other artists and they were quite lonely before they found this spot,” Long said. “Here, there has been a lot of connections within the community which I think is really valuable.”
Graffiti is still highly stigmatized in society, which is a big contributor to artists’ fear. Critics may discredit artists’ works, claiming their installations are not art or accusing them of creating eyesores. Artist Gracie-Lynn Meroney, who has work displayed in the Graffiti Attic, disagrees with these claims and explains that graffiti is no different from other art styles.
According to Meroney, the stigma “sucks because it’s just like any other art form.”
After visiting the Graffiti Attic, Cormany believes that it can help change the way people view graffiti.
“This really shifted my entire perspective because you could really see the artists’ passion,” Cormany said.
Long agrees, believing that the Graffiti Attic is a unifying experience because viewers get to see what is happening in the artists’ minds through their work and because it can “bring people together to showcase what humans are capable of.”
Meroney hopes that the Graffiti Attic gives artists the confidence to create art for themselves by acting “without expectations” and allowing the rewards to inspire them.
