Happy Holidays!

To everyone out there in Worcester and beyond...

Thank you for visiting our blog, enjoying our street art, leaving us comments and helping to make Worcester a brighter place. May everyone have a great 2009.

See you in the Spring, Peace!

Moose: The UK's Clean Graffiti Artist

We just came across this great story on NPR and to my surprise it is a little old, from 2004. I'm sorry I missed seeing his work while we were stomping around the UK back then but it is worth a look. The Leeds based graffiti artist is a CLEAN graffiti artist removing dirt from the urban landscape to reveal his artwork.

Brilliant concept, street art comes is all forms!!! Wish they had thought about something a little cleaner during the Start on The Street Festival. The booth numbers left behind all up and down Park Ave. really bug us. Why does the city allow that with no clean up?

Back from Blighty

It was a brilliant trip walking the streets + enjoying the graffiti of Manchester, England...hope you enjoy it too...

Locations, top to bottom:

Outside bar Common, Northern Quarter
Stevenson Square, Northern Quarter
Koffee Pot, Northern Quarter
last 2 in graffiti gallery, Upper Space, Norther Quarter

all photos taken by FreeArtWorcester in Manchester, England

From Madchester, UK wit Luv!

Ahhhhh, we've missed this town + so sweet it is to be back bumbling 'round on it's gritty streets. This place has evolved so much in the last 12 years since the IRA bombed it and they had to rebuild a good chunk of the city center. And it keeps on changing, so many new crazy cool buildings had begun being built while we lived her for 5 years and they are all pretty much finished. But the city hasn't stopped there even since our last visit in Jan. so much more cool stuff has popped up. And despite all the new sleek buildings and new facades going up, Manchester retains it's edge through all it's musical and visual arts talent.

We forgot our camera cable so we won't be able to post any new photos till be get back in 2 weeks but we wanted to give a shout out to a new gallery here in Manchester that we visited earlier in the week. It's called Upper Space and features the best UK and international street artists work. The guy who opened this place is also responsible for the killer events held here, London and elsewhere called International Doodle Bug Day. For a few years it was held at Manchester's art house cinema, ConerHouse. Basically on this one day peeps could come in show um' your sktechbook and you'd be let loose on the walls of the cafe and on the windows then the work was left up for almost a month. Wouldn't that be a wicked cool event to see happen in Worcester?!!! Just maybe, one day...

Check out the Upper Space and get a taste of what could be ours if we got a few of us together!

Peace.

HOLIDAY!

Well, that is the 22 FreeArt projects we promised and all before we fly back across the pond to visit peeps in Blighty for our holiday. We'll be taking all sorts of photos at Solfest in Cumbria as well as loads of graffiti in Madchester. Hopefully we'll do some posting while we are there but there will be a lot of pub crawling between snapping photos + visiting the street art gallery so pleaz be patient with us. Enjoy the rest of the summer + thanx for stopping in to visit the site. Don't forget to let us know if you found one of the pieces or any general feedabck. We'd love to hear from ya!

Black, Blu + Red Starrs

If you look carefully you can see the string that holds these boards together yet when hanging up they are suspended separately. We hung this one down at the outdoor smoking spot across from the parking garage at the bottom of Elm just before you get to Main Street. Hope someone from one of the offices took it to brighten up their cube.

Message in a Bottle Project #6 of 10

Graffiti in Rochdale, England

graffiti artist unknown

photo taken by FreeArtWorcester

Maple + Main Streets

Message in a Bottle Project #7 of 10

Graffiti in Barcelona, Spain

graffiti artist: Angel (?)

photo taken by FreeArtWorcester

Maple + Main Street

Message in a Bottle Project #3 of 10

Graffiti in Barcelona, Spain

artist unknown

photo taken by FreeArtWorcester

oops, we forgot where we left this one. Anyone wanna tell us where out favourite lil' gurl is?

It's Yours, Take it - Boston

If you have ever spent any amount of time on Flickr you will know that there is a wonderful world of street art being documented and posted up there.

An interesting project we have stumbled upon is called, ' It's Yours, Take it". The project describes itself as being:

"Born from the bowels of the Free Art Friday Flickr Group, the "It's Yours, Take IT" project has been a great success of global artists joining together in impromptu street exhibits in cities around the globe. Cities visited by IYTI crews:
Tel Aviv, Israel
Southport Hampshire, UK
Chicago, IL., US
Honolulu, HI, US
Tempe & Phoenix, AZ, US
Germany
Coffs Harbour, Australia
Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada
New Orleans,LA, US
Singapore"

18 August was the deadline for the upcoming It's Yours, Take it - Boston exhibition. So check in at their Flickr site or their blog for details once it's up. FreeArtWorcester is participating in this event and just sent this painting in to meet the dealine last week!

Gear Flowers

Front Street bus shelter, north side of City Hall

Message in a Bottle Project #8 of 10

Stencils + tags in Manchester, UK

artists unknown

photo taken by FreeArtWorcester


Front Street bus shelter, north side of City Hall

Vampyre Boo Boo Bunni

Friendly, yet vicious + adorable when attacking...

Elm + Main Street

Message in a Bottle Project #1 of 10

Graffiti in Barcelona, Spain.

Graffiti artist unknown.
photo taken by FreeArtWorcester

Elm + Main Street

Woosta2

More Worcester Luv!

Elm Park at Russell Street

Message in a Bottle Project #10 of 10

Corporate, Hungry. Must Feed.
Stencil found in Manchester City Centre, UK

Stencil artist unknown
photo taken by FreeArtWorcester

Franklin Street bus shelter, across from Bancroft Building

Message in a Bottle Project #4 of 10

Graffiti in Manchester, England

Stencil Artist unknown
photo taken by FreeArtWorcester


Franklin Street bus shelter across from Bancroft building

Squares + Rectangles on Rouge

Bus shelter directly in front of City Hall

Message in a Bottle Project #5 of 10

This photo is of graffiti that was commissioned by Cord Bar in Manchester's (UK) Northern Quarter, the city's arts district. The wall often changes and since this photo was taken a couple of years ago we're looking forward to see what is up there currently when we visit next week!

Graffiti artist unknown
photo by FreeArtWorcester

Bus shelter directly in front of City Hall

Box Car

The Box Car. It conjures up images of the American landscape given to us through stories by travelers (also referred to as hobos) as well as the imaginative insight given to us by graffiti artists who use the side of these cars as a canvas. Ahhhh, smell the romance in the air...

Graffiti comes in all forms that are 'illegal' as well as 'legal' and we bet a lot of people out there have committed the crime of 'illegal' graffiti activity at one time or another. Think about it, humans have been scrawling on walls for as long as we've been able to document history. We have a natural tendency to want to leave our mark: cave paintings, hieroglyphics, lovers carving their names in the bark of trees, religious pilgrims who carve their names into pillars in cathedrals, and the signing of guest books or yearbooks. Give a kid a pencil or a crayon and what is the first thing they want to do when you are not looking? Scrawl on the wall!

Humans are expressive creatures who crave a community and shared ideas. This is an important aspect of our survival. Why do we try to stifle each other? So if you found this little box car painting get out your markers and scrawl a little something on the side of this car. It'll make ya feel good, we promise. And send us a photo of it would ya? We'd love to post it back up here!

Bus shelter across the street from City Hall

Message in a Bottle Project #2 of 10

Rochdale, England in pedestrian walkway - created in legal graffiti zone ordered by local City Council

graffiti artist unknown
photo taken by FreeArtWorcester

Bus shelter across the street from City Hall

Pink Boots

"I cried because I had no shoes, then I met a man who had no feet"

painted thrift store shoes

Chatham Street between Irving and Oxford

Message in a Bottle Project #9 of 10

The Message in a Bottle Project is a series of 10 photos tucked inside 10 glass bottles. The photos were taken in 2005-2006 in Manchester, England and Barcelona, Spain of graffiti found in various locations in each city.

This killer piece by 'Throne' was found while walking an underground pedestrian walkway within a rotary or roundabout in Manchester's city centre.

photo taken by FreeArtWorcester

Federal Square

Will She Ever Know?

"Yet if a woman never lets herself go, how will she ever know how far she might have got? If she never takes off her high-heeled shoes, how will she ever know how far she could walk or how fast she could run?"
-Germaine Greer

house paint on 2nd hand shoes

Federal Square

Doodles

Just doodlin'round.

Federal Square Bus Shelter

"You cannot put the same shoe on every foot"

These thrift store shoes were painted as a reminder to celebrate individualism. We would be soooo bored if we all looked and acted the same!

Federal Square Bus Shelter

Glyph (inspired)

These shapes were and arranged and inspired by Mayan glyphs. Glyphs are elements of writing that use images instead of words. In Mayan art they are found on various architectural structures as well as sculpture. This inspired glyph translates into whatever you can imagine!

Franklin Square Bus Shelter

FreeArt Bombin'!

2night we were out in full effect FreeArt bombing Worcester's Main Street from Franklin Square to Maple Street! 22 pieces in all so we'll be busy posting over the next several days. If you visit here and don't see the piece you found hold tight, it will be posted soon so check back and give us a shout out!

Enjoy. Peace.

Pie and Coffee, a Worcester Podcast #47 Creative Laundry

Hey Hey, thanx Pie and Coffee for your coverage of the upcoming one day art event at Elm Park Creative Laundry AND for giving FreeArtWorcester a mention! We will definitely be out at Elm Park on Friday to participate in Creative Laundry and hope to join lots of locals creating together.

This has been a great summer for art in Worcester. We caught the Strange Fruit performance outside City Hall yesterday afternoon that was brilliant and the Art in the Park at Elm Park is pretty wonderful too! We're sorry to say we'll be missing Start in the Street again this year as we will be on another trip.

We're about to do a BIG drop of FreeArt downtown before we head over to England for 3 weeks to do some graffiti hunting. We plan to post the new FreeArt photos up in quick succession next week but we might try to do a little blogging from Blighty's Manchester which is an incredible centre of graffiti outside of London and Bristol.

Peace!

Wearin'um Out

"One thing children wear out faster than shoes is their parents"
-John L Plomp


Franklin and Salem Streets

Why Do we Kill People, Who Kill People?...

Don't react, think about it.


Franklin Street, City Hall side across from the Telegram & Gazette Bldg.

America is Not Just White Folks!

These were done as a gentle reminder to those out there that think Americans are only white folks.

A year or so ago we were coming back into the country from a trip abroad and after getting off the plane we were shuffled through immigration and were told that those with American passports were to go in the line on the left and those with other than American passports in the line to the right. So we follow instructions and get in the line on the left and in front of us is a woman in her 50s maybe 60s and in front of her are a couple we believe to have been Sikh by the traditional garments they were wearing. Cool we're in line and waiting. Then the woman in front of us says in that loud exaggerated tone people use when speaking to others they assume don't know English she informs them they have to go to the other line for foreigners. The couple are conversing amongst themselves and pay her no mind so she repeats herself again with more persistence. This is a disgrace we are thinking to ourselves and just as she is about to say it again we ask her if she ever gave it a single thought that they might be American citizens and maybe she should mind her own business. At this point her jaw drops and she hurriedly turns around quietly. Sure enough as we continue to stand in line we notice the passports in the couple's hand are indeed American passports.

Now this isn't the 1st time we've seen our fellow citizens act like fools when dealing with people of different races . Is it any wonder the rest of the world looks at us so funny? Is it any wonder that some people in this country don't feel welcome here and more and more keep to themselves and their own wonderfully close knit community? All we're sayin' is be more mindful to others. take the time to be kind, smile and don't assume all that you have heard is true. Isn't it time we got over all this racial tension crap and move on? We need each other more than ever these days, particularly after all the damage done by our government in the last 8 years. We need to stick together or we'll continue to fall apart.


Pleasant Street between West and Crown Streets
and Worcester Historical Society

Gawd Damn, Gawd Damn!

Soooooo sorry folks, we are still here and so is the mighty stack of FreeArt that needs to be distributed! With summer in full swing it's been hard not to be distracted and we've been playin' all over the damn place from Elm Park to Cambridge to Philly to the Delaware shore. Please forgive.

Have you checked out Art in the Park in Elm Park? Wow, Worcester doing something right. But let's not stop there! FreeArtWorcester has made a of couple comments/responses on 4rilla and My Five Senses's blogs suggesting we should organize some happenings ourselves for everyone like a silent rave or a pillow fight on the Worcester Common. We've got our fingers crossed something might happen.

Anyone else interested?

Did you miss us?

Sorry FreeArtWorcester hasn't posted in a few weeks, got a little distracted but there is a HUGE stack of work in the studio ready to go out so keep yer peepers open...

Meanwhile sign this petition to demand Worcester Schools get more funding! They only have 689 signatures and there should be a hell of a lot more!!!!!

Hail to the Masters of The Can

Spiral Sexy Bum

Love your bum, his bum, her bum, you know you do!

Location: 65 Water Street

Stop the Violence - hanging in yellow

It's coming at us from all sides and not just from the usual suspects i.e. "bad guys". We see abuse of power from government (Guantanmo/the 'War on Terror'), corporations (Exxon/Chevron) , to even some of the police (New York/Philly). Violence is part of the human existence is seems to be some flaw in our make up but when you know something is wrong stand up, speak out and get the discussion for change started. It's not getting any easier for any of us out here...

More on May 15th for Bloggers Unite for Human Rights Day- Please check back and if you have a blog DO participate!!!

Location: Worcester Public Library, on window sill

Sterling Nature

This is from a photo of a dead tree we came across on a hike near Sterling this past winter. It was so beautifully graphic against the cold winter sky. Digi cameras make such great digi sketchbooks, you can take pictures of interesting things like this when you don't have a pencil on ya to recall later when making stuff. Gotta love technology, sometimes.

Location: Harrison Street

No One Says it Better...

...than Dr. Martin Luther King-

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom. "

"History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people."


...This country is once again heading into tumultuous times, will we go there without organizing, without a leader or leaders who care for us, the people, will it be worse this time around? What are we going to do?

Bug Luv for The Kids

This is for the kids of Worcester and across this fine country who are getting a seriously bum deal by our so call "leaders" who have squandered the money for schools/education to line their pockets and pay for the damn war!!!

Location: Corner Grille, Tatnuck Square

LAUGH Your LIfe Depends On It!

A new friend on Myspace who goes by the name of Marla posted this great bulletin recently that both made us laugh and appreciate having a job that we love to do.

She started off by directing everyone to go out and buy a Johnson and Johnson brand rectal thermometer. It must be J&J. Then go home and change into some comfy clothes and tuck down into your favorite chair. Take out the thermometer and place it somewhere safe so it doesn't get broken and then take out the literature and read the fine print that reads:

'"Every Rectal Thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson is personally tested and then sanitized."

We can all be happy we don't work in the Johnson & Johnson quality control department!

She's a funny gurl and we cannot wait to hear more form her! Thanks Marla!!!

This FreeArt is again paint on plywood but also incorporates used nitrous cartridges. Many hours of laughter and uh, oh yeah, whipped cream.

Location: June Street at Newton Sqaure

Unlock Your Mind

There's a key to everything you just have to be willing to try them all. It's not easy sifting thru them but with patience you can unlock any door. Get out there and try something new today! Talk to someone you never spoke to before, ask someone about their culture and learn something you didn't know, read a book today instead of turning on that idiot box, borrow a book from the library on tree identification and go on a hike. Let's break our routines today and learn something new about ourselves and our neighbors!

Location: Herbert Lane at Hadwen Street

Head Wrap

From Turkey, India, South Africa, Gambia, Russia, Latin America to the USA men and women around the world wear head wraps for religious distinction, cultural identity, sports fanaticism or fashion purposes. What is it about head wraps that can be soooooo beautiful? Love it anyway you wear it!

Location: High St near the Performing Arts School of Worcester

I'm from Worcester: Taking steps to end violence against women and kids - awareness walk / silent auction

We noticed on The "I'm From Worcester" blog that the Central Massachusetts walk-a-thon to end violence against women and children is being held this Sunday April 2008. Registration and entertainment start at 11am, the walk begins at 1pm all at Institute Park. Visit the I'm from Worcester blog entry at the link above or go directly to www.takingsteps.org

In honor of this great event this FreeArt can be found at the gazebo in Institute Park. We hope Taking Steps reaches their $100,000 goal!

WORCESTER WORCESTER WORCESTER WORCESTER...

This lil' offering was made to Worcester and left at one of her most luscious architectural gems, Union Station. That building is just sooooooo lovely. Every time ya go in there yer thankful Worcester had sense to finally save that building and then begin to fantasize loads of people in there all day long making there way into Boston, NYC or even up to Quebec! So glad it is used as much as it is but with the rising gas prices more frequent trains would be nice, but that is an already old topic unfortunately everyone is still moaning about.

Actually if it weren't for the infrequent train service to and from Worcester FreeArtWorcester wouldn't have got fed up and scoured Worcester harder for studio space and left the Boston area. Good things do come out of bad situations. Just have to be patient we guess?

Chilllin' Like A Villian

Oui Oui Ya'll Spring is here!

All the buds are bursting, temperatures are rising and the parks are heavin' with the Peeps of Worcester, great to see ya!

Finally made it over to Newton Hill recently for a quiet one n' watch the sunset. This is really a great spot if you want to sneak away from the crowded parks for a minute. It's cool up there this time of year because the trees are not quite yet in full bloom with all their leaves and you can get an almost 360 degree view of the city through the branches.

Left this Chillin' Zone sign up there and though it will more than likely be used to feed the night time party fires that's okay. Art can be used to fuel all kinds of good times!Props to those who do make fires responsibly with stone rings, Tsk Tsk to those who do not!

And would the City officials PLEASE get the Parks Department out to empty all the trash bins? They are overflowing and the trash is blowing all over the damn place!