One argument against graffiti artists is that whenever they deface the side of a building, the property value of the entire neighborhood is brought down. Who wants to live in a community where every couple of blocks there is a spray painted cartoon character adorning a brick wall?

However, now that graffiti artists have become popular and well respected in the art community, that argument has been flipped on it’s head. Here Comes The Neighborhood is a series of short films that document the beginning of the Wynwood Walls. The brainchild of Urban Visionary and Placemaker Tony Goldman and Jeffrey Deitch (Deitch Projects Soho and now director of MoCa Los Angeles), Wynwood Walls began in 2009 as a restoration project for the Wynwood Art District. The project began as an art exhibit living in parking lots, run down factory buildings and warehouses and has grown to become a important center piece for Art Basel and has most recently gathered 30 of the most influential graffiti artists of our time to turn the Wynwood community into a street art museum of sorts. Artists the likes of Shepard Fairey, OS Gemeos, Futura and Phase 2 all contributed massive murals of their work that breathe new life into the once decrepit community.

It is no longer safe to make the argument that graffiti only serves the purposes of deformation and rebellion, because as we can see in just the first episode Here Comes The Neighborhood, graffiti has now become a tool to help rebuild and revitalize our homes and towns.

HERE COMES THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Directed By: Jenner Furst

Produced By: Ben Solomon

Supervising Producers: Julia Willoughby Nason & Daniel B. Levin

Created By: Jenner Furst & Tony Goldman Executive Producer: Tony Goldman

A CINEMART Production

In Association With Goldman Projects Coordinating Producer: Meghan Coleman Consulting Producer: Medvin Sobio