UP Magazine Issue 2 - Travel & Place [Anniversary Edition]

For Issue II, UP takes a look at two topics – Travel & Place. Murals are tools of “placemaking” with the ability to create striking, visual statements about a neighborhood’s shared personality. We recruited writers from cities across the globe, and did some traveling ourselves, to explore the complex relationship between street art and the places it inhabits.

Tyler linked up with the Dripped on the Road residency to discuss life on the move, while Savannah sat down with Menace and Resa to talk about their road trip across America. In Helsinki, Porto Alegre, and Tokyo, respective writers Sam, Gabriel, and Naomi investigate how local culture impacts a city’s understanding of street art. Rikka gives readers a tour of Las Vegas, demonstrating the ways in which artists have transformed sin city’s downtown. Caitlin sits down with Mr. NYC Subway to talk about his namesake influence and how the subway has inspired creatives for decades. 

Gentrification, and its impact on neighborhoods, is a recurring thread throughout our articles. Vittoria tackles the matter head on in her examination of the effect it’s had on Brooklyn, while Christina questions what responsibility art organizations have to their citizens in Montreal. T.K. traveled to Mexico for the premier of the Akumal Arts Festival, witnessing how street art can unify a community. Lonnie talked with the team behind the Mes Hall to learn about their conflict with the landlord in a fight for the right to stay in a place they created.

We encourage you to immerse yourself in art every place you go, to orient yourself as a traveler, not just a tourist. Explore the world through a lens of street art, and the walls will tell stories that words alone can’t convey. As you dive into this issue, and you’ll see what we mean. 

– UP Editorial Staff