Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.

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History tells us that public art has existed for thousands of years and, from cavedrawings to bathroom humor in ancient Greece to Kilroy Was Here tags in WWII, man has always had the impulse to write on walls. However, in this day and age, government and wealthy landowners control the walls in our cities where corporations and real estate interests are now viewed as the actual proprietors of our public sidewalks, parks and streets. These interests see street paintings, and street culture of any kind, as an ugly blemish damaging the exclusive appeal and market value of their properties and businesses. Paid messages are allowed, tags are cleaned. Art is “art” if it’s sanctioned, vandalism if it is not. This has created a modern urban art problem.

The Walls Belong To Us shows the strength and solidarity that exists among urban folk artists today by uniting artists who have been affected by this social paradigm. Together, former taggers, writers, stencilers, wheat pasters, agitators and their supporters briefly escape the battle in the streets to showcase their work in order to bring attention to the ever-growing criminalization of artists. Some of today’s most respected artists are former writers and street artists who left the ranks to join the gallery movement in order to escape prosecution and further their creative talents.

Public Art has existed for thousands of years. From Aboriginal cave drawings to the ingenious ‘Kilroy Was Here’ tags during WWII, humanity has always had an impulse to express and communicate with one another via publicly viewable spaces. With totem poles and mountain carvings as early examples, some societies pushed ahead, using cathedral ceilings as canvas and placing value on commissioned art only seen by the few. As Western art and culture emerged, the divide grew between sanctioned “fine art” and artists creating “outsider art” for a wider public.

Today, artists of many genres have employed walls and other public viewing spaces as a way to express their work, while those considered “professionals” are viewed in galleries. As real estate and privatization interests continue to increase their influence over the public sector, sanctioned institutions continue to dictate what art is and more so, where it can be displayed and ultimately, by whom.

Too often these interests see street paintings and street culture as a stain, a blemish damaging their market value and businesses, instead of a rich and viable part of society’s fabric, where artists communicate with the public and each other.

While paid messages are allowed and arguably over-saturate our public spaces to the point of nuisance, street art is hyper-criminalized and chemically removed. And yet, the influence of street art on popular culture including the messages emerging from Madison Avenue, is undeniable.

Some of today’s most respected artists - former writers and street artists themselves – are forced to choose between the ranks of the gallery movement and private interests and the desire to nurture and express their talents in the public sphere, essentially to avoid prosecution.

This dichotomy has created a modern urban art problem/challenge/opportunity.

The Walls Belong to Us is an example of the strength and solidarity that exists among many of the urban folk artists of today, gathering those who have been affected by this social paradigm and creating discourse, exchange and self-acceptance. It is a community space by, for and about the artists, with the intention to challenge the notions of who can exist where; who can have access; and ultimately, who can experience and enjoy the work itself.

Together these artists, former taggers, writers, stencilers, wheat pasters, agitators and supporters gather to celebrate and showcase their work, while bringing attention to the ever-growing hyper-criminalization of public art.

Today - The Walls Belong to Us.

History tells us that public art has existed for thousands of years and, from cavedrawings to bathroom humor in ancient Greece to Kilroy Was Here tags in WWII, man has always had the impulse to write on walls. However, in this day and age, government and wealthy landowners control the walls in our cities where corporations and real estate interests are now viewed as the actual proprietors of our public sidewalks, parks and streets. These interests see street paintings, and street culture of any kind, as an ugly blemish damaging the exclusive appeal and market value of their properties and businesses. Paid messages are allowed, tags are cleaned. Art is “art” if it’s sanctioned, vandalism if it is not. This has created a modern urban art problem.

The Walls Belong To Us shows the strength and solidarity that exists among urban folk artists today by uniting artists who have been affected by this social paradigm.

Together, former taggers, writers, stencilers, wheat pasters, agitators and their supporters briefly escape the battle in the streets to showcase their work in order to bring attention to the ever-growing criminalization of artists. Some of today’s most respected artists are former writers and street artists who left the ranks to join the gallery movement in order to escape prosecution and further their creative talents.

This is our battle cry and serves as reminder to all that, “The Walls Belong to Us.”

The Walls Belong To Us event in New York City received an overwhelming amount of media and press coverage. In addition, the online community grabbed the story and ran with it. The event has been featured in over 100 blogs and websites around the world from Japan to England. Viral marketing and PR was a huge success with hundreds of banners posted online on sites like Myspace.com, graffiti.org and art magazines.

Download the 55dsl_Walls Press Release (Word Doc.)

We need your help…

Please consider supporting our work with street artists, style writers, and graffiti artists. Money that we receive helps us help artists with legal bills, helps us inform the public and private sectors about this art form, and helps us to create programming that brings art exhibitions to cities around the US. Without you, we cannot keep this vital work alive.

To support the The Walls Belong To US project, please make checks out to the From Here to Fame LLC, and write The Walls Belong to US on the memo line. Mail your donation and any requests for information to:

From Here to Fame LLC / The walls belong to us c/o: UPS STORE 4768 Broadway Box 1006 NY, NY 10034

Include a completed donation form when mailing in checks. Click here to download.

Alain's case is not as unique as the media would like you to believe. In actuality these type of cases are becoming more and more common as police departments and DAs feel the pressure from corporations and politicians to make arrest and punish street artists and writers. Across America young adults are being sent to prison and heavily fined for creating public art, its got to stop.

SupportKet.org is accepting art donations and financial donations on Alain's behalf to help him pay off his legal expenses and the fines he has incurred due to his cases. We will continue to work on his behalf till this is all over. At which time we will shift our attention and fundraising to help others in similar positions like SKUF in New York.

Your support is very important to Alain and his family. It is important that we create a movement that let's people know that we have united as artists and that we are against the growing restrictive and prison-friendly laws.

Art that is donated will be sold in our online shop and will be displayed at upcoming events that we host or that supporters host.

In order to donate art please email a photograph of the painting, drawing, etc. to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Please include size of the art and artist name. Any more information you can give on the art and artist would be helpful. Alain will review and then we will contact you with his approval.

Similarly, you can mail art to: FROM HERE TO FAME/SUPPORT KET c/o: UPS STORE 4768 Broadway Box 1006 NY, NY 10034

Include a completed donation form when mailing in artwork. Click here to download.

History tells us that public art has existed for thousands of years and, from cavedrawings to bathroom humor in ancient Greece to Kilroy Was Here tags in WWII, man has always had the impulse to write on walls. However, in this day and age, government and wealthy landowners control the walls in our cities where corporations and real estate interests are now viewed as the actual proprietors of our public sidewalks, parks and streets. These interests see street paintings, and street culture of any kind, as an ugly blemish damaging the exclusive appeal and market value of their properties and businesses. Paid messages are allowed, tags are cleaned. Art is “art” if it’s sanctioned, vandalism if it is not. This has created a modern urban art problem.

The Walls Belong To Us shows the strength and solidarity that exists among urban folk artists today by uniting artists who have been affected by this social paradigm.

This is our battle cry and serves as reminder to all that, “The Walls Belong to Us.”

THE WALLS BELONG TO US is an Exhibit and Art Benefit that features the largest line up of global graffiti, urban art, and photography ever assembled in one space, with over 120 pieces and 105 artists involved. Canvases, sculptures, prints and silk screens from world-renowned artists including Martha Cooper, FUTURA 2000, Lee Quiñones, Lady Pink, Jamel Shabazz, GHOST, Grotesk, DELTA, Guy Gonzales, IZ THE WIZ, Jose Parla, Henry Chalfant, REVS, ZEPHYR, Shepard Fairey, EWOK, Joe Conzo, DAZE and ESPO.

In addition, THE WALLS BELONG TO US Exhibit plays an instrumental role in raising funds to combat social injustice. Presently, Alain “Ket” Maridueña is a defendant in three cases in New York City. He has been accused and arrested for alleged graffiti crimes stemming from an October 2006 search of his home and office. In March 2007, police arrested him after a five-month investigation. He is charged with over a dozen felony charges [all graffiti-related] that if convicted could place him in prison for over ten years. Alain has no prior criminal record and is being represented by Ron Kuby.

For up to date info regarding Alain’s case please visit: www.supportket.org