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Wordless Wednesday - Graffiti on the Flood Wall Just South of the Arch and Downtown St. Louis

By Ryan Shaughnessy

Real Estate Agent with PREA Signature Realty - www.preasignaturerealty.com

September 08, 2009 05:48 PM

Just South of the Arch and Downtown St. Louis, there is a flood wall with graffiti known as the "Riverfront Graffiti Wall". It was once the site of a graffiti artist contest known as Paint St. Louis where each artist had a section of the wall and an allotted time to create his or her work. Although the contest has since moved to other cities, the graffiti on the flood wall just south of Downtown St. Louis remains.

Now:

Then:

Intested in finding artist lofts for sale or lease in St Louis, Missouri? Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381 or send an e-mail to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

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Ralph Gorgoglione

Metro Life Homes - Palm Springs, CA

California and Hawaii Real Estate (310) 497-9407

If grafitti can be contained to designated areas, then it can be kind of cool.

Sep 08, 2009 05:54 PM

Carol Pease

JP & Associates Realtors - Bastrop, TX

CRS, Broker-Associate 512-721-6320

A grafitti contest. Sounds like something they would do here in Austin!

Sep 08, 2009 05:56 PM

Ryan Shaughnessy

PREA Signature Realty - www.preasignaturerealty.com - Saint Louis, MO

Broker/Attorney - Your Lafayette Square Real Estate Partner

Ralph - Having had it spray painted on buildings being readied for development, I don't like the art form. However, this is an isolated area and was kind of a cool contest when it first was done around 2000 or so.

Sep 08, 2009 05:57 PM

Ryan Shaughnessy

PREA Signature Realty - www.preasignaturerealty.com - Saint Louis, MO

Broker/Attorney - Your Lafayette Square Real Estate Partner

Carol - I was just in Austin for your KW Mega Agent program. Great town - need to go back for a few more days. Just started breaking in the new boots from Allen's Boots on So. Congress.

Sep 08, 2009 05:58 PM

Janice Roosevelt

Keller Williams Brandywine Valley - West Chester, PA

OICP ABR, ePRO,Ecobroker

Parts of Philadelphia have done great things with this. using the talents of graffiti artist in combination wtih new and renovated buildings. There's something wrong if you have to "break in new shoes," isn't there? They shouldn't hurt and those boots look like they do

Sep 08, 2009 11:29 PM

Debbie Aldrich

The Watts Group Real Estate - Cottonwood Heights, UT

Salt Lake City Realtor - Salt Lake County, Cottonwood Heights

Ryan,We don't get much graffiti here but in other parts of the country I have seen some amazing art in the form of graffiti. I'm with you I don't like it but a clever way to deal with it by holding a contest.

Sep 09, 2009 12:31 AM

Ryan Shaughnessy

PREA Signature Realty - www.preasignaturerealty.com - Saint Louis, MO

Broker/Attorney - Your Lafayette Square Real Estate Partner

Janice - There is definitely a difference between graffiti as art and graffiti as tagging your territory. I love the new boots - lizzard - and they are a bit stiff. But, did I mention that I love my new boots. Debbie - We see it on vacant industrial buildings. But, I like the wall. It is in a vacant desolate area and some of the graffiti is pretty good and amusing.

Sep 09, 2009 06:21 AM

Marcy Eastham

Town & Country Realty Corvallis Oregon - Corvallis, OR

Most of the graffiti we have around here is tagging, but there are some amazing mobile works on the sides of trains that travel across the country. I'm sure the RR hates it, but it does give you something to look at while you're waiting at the crossing!

Sep 09, 2009 10:24 AM

Ann Hayden 636-399-7544

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties-St. Louis Missouri - Des Peres, MO

SelectAnn.com

Ryan, I missed this when I was downtown last week. I will have to check it out. Thanks for sharing, Ann

Sep 09, 2009 03:00 PM

Ryan Shaughnessy

PREA Signature Realty - www.preasignaturerealty.com - Saint Louis, MO

Broker/Attorney - Your Lafayette Square Real Estate Partner

Marcy - This graffiti started as a community project and contest. It attracted an interesting crowd of artists. I included the old video because some of the original art work is now covered with tags. Ann - I don't know if it is worth a trip downtown. But if you are near the arch, some of the panels are pretty interesting.

Sep 10, 2009 08:38 AM

Rebecca Gaujot, Realtor®

Lewisburg, WV

Lewisburg WV, the go to agent for all real estate

While living in Virginia and working in Maryland, I would take the metro train into DC. I saw a lot of graffiti ... some were really good.

Sep 10, 2009 01:01 PM

Ryan Shaughnessy

PREA Signature Realty - www.preasignaturerealty.com - Saint Louis, MO

Broker/Attorney - Your Lafayette Square Real Estate Partner

Rebecca - I went to college and loved living in the city. It is a big reason why I moved from the suburbs to the city when I returned to St. Louis.

Sep 10, 2009 01:08 PM

Liz Moras Migic

Chilliwack, BC

Chilliwack, British Columbia - Realtor

Cool my daughter has a whole graffiti photo collection......i'll have to post it one day

Sep 10, 2009 05:53 PM

Ryan Shaughnessy

PREA Signature Realty - www.preasignaturerealty.com - Saint Louis, MO

Broker/Attorney - Your Lafayette Square Real Estate Partner

Liz - I would love to see it some day. As a developer's representative, I hate graffiti on buildings about to be rehabbed. But on this wall, I do appreciate some of the artwork.

Sep 10, 2009 06:00 PM

Not a real person

San Diego, CA

We have a similar place here in San Diego in an area that, let's say, isn't the best. It was always full of graffiti. Then they had a graffiti contest and the people with the best entries were then allowed a section of wall to showcase their best work. I'm still not sure I agree with that because it rewarded the so-called graffiti artists.

Sep 10, 2009 09:17 PM

Ryan Shaughnessy

PREA Signature Realty - www.preasignaturerealty.com - Saint Louis, MO

Broker/Attorney - Your Lafayette Square Real Estate Partner

Russel - This is an isolated spot south of the Arch in St. Louis. It is industrial. I agree with your assessment about rewarding artists for their misdeeds. However, I am amazed at some of the art work given that these were generally untrained street artists.

Sep 11, 2009 04:18 AM

Maria Morton

Platinum Realty - Kansas City, MO

Kansas City Real Estate 816-560-3758

Ryan, some of the graffiti art is very good. Personally, I like to see it in areas of the city where the buildings and environment feels plain, grey, boring or even depressing.

Sep 13, 2009 04:30 PM

Ryan Shaughnessy

PREA Signature Realty - www.preasignaturerealty.com - Saint Louis, MO

Broker/Attorney - Your Lafayette Square Real Estate Partner

Maria - This wall is on the waterfront in a drab industrial area. I like the art as long as it is in a designated area and not sprayed on private property.

Sep 13, 2009 04:35 PM

Todd Clark - Retired

eXp Realty LLC - Tigard, OR

Principle Broker Oregon

I'm glad someone came up with a way to give these people an outlet for their creative art. But, I have a problem when they decide where it goes instead of us. Too many great buildings are ruined by this stuff and the business owner is left with the expense of cleaning it up.

Todd Clark - www.LivingBeaverton.com