105-462: The Gum Wall is a brick wall situated beneath Pike Place Market in Downtown Seattle , Washington (State) , United States . Located on Post Alley near Pike Street , south of the market's main entrance off 1st Avenue, the wall is covered with used chewing gum . Certain sections of the gum accumulation on the walls measure several inches in thickness, reaching a height of 15 feet (4.6 m) along
210-499: A peace symbol , a heart , and a penguin ( Linux mascot ), to represent "Peace, Love, and Linux." IBM paid Chicago and San Francisco collectively US$ 120,000 for punitive damages and clean-up costs. In 2005, a similar ad campaign was launched by Sony and executed by its advertising agency in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Miami, to market its handheld PSP gaming system. In this campaign , taking notice of
315-671: A $ 2 annual membership fee; the fee is optional. The DTA meets on the Desimone Bridge in the Market at least once each quarter. Similarly, the United Farmers Coalition (UFC) formed in 1998 to represent daystall farmers who sell produce, flower, and processed food; the UFC represents only these food vendors, as against craft vendors. The Pike Market Performers' Guild, founded 2001, represents Market street performers. Among its members are Artis
420-438: A (virtual) line for each marked, sanctioned performance location. Queuing runs on an honor system. Each performance is limited to one hour if any other licensed performer is waiting for the spot. Electronic amplification is not allowed, nor are brass instruments or drums. Certain performance locations are further limited to "quiet" performances where (for example) even hand-clap percussion is not allowed. Although they do not have
525-698: A 50-foot-long (15 m) segment. Originating inadvertently in the 1990s, the Market Theater Gum Wall has evolved into a notable tourist attraction and local landmark. The wall is located in Post Alley adjacent to the box office for the Market Theater, a venue for comedy shows and other small performances. After it became the host of Unexpected Productions ' Theatresports in 1991, the theater's walls were covered by patrons' pieces of used gum that had pennies pushed into them. The coins were later removed, but
630-472: A Sunday in peak season. There are also separate rents for lockers and coolers. Compared to farmers and craftspeople, performers have a lesser role in the Market, but still one formally recognized by the PDA. "The PDA's mission with regard to performers is to maintain locations within the Market where performing artists may entertain Market shoppers in a fashion consistent with and complimentary [ sic ] to
735-571: A balance between farmers and craftspeople in the daystalls which set a precedent for allocation of daystalls. In 1998, the PDA decided to end the Hildt Agreement; a new agreement, the Licata-Hildt agreement, was adopted in February 1999. In 2008, Seattle voters approved a six-year property-tax levy to fund critical repairs and improvements, which were completed in 2012. The Pike Place Market
840-457: A customer orders a fish, an employee at the Fish Market's ice-covered fish table picks up the fish and hurls it over the countertop, where another employee catches it and preps it for sale. The first Starbucks store, founded in 1971, was originally located at 2000 Western Avenue. In 1977 it moved one block away to 1912 Pike Place where it has been in continuous operation ever since. The store
945-535: A day's rent; in fact, this was unchanged. Further, the farmers who were the Market's original raison d'etre do not necessarily do well when the Market becomes more of a tourist attraction than venue for shopping for produce and groceries. "Craft vendors, antique and curio merchants, and booksellers…" wrote the City Auditor's office, "derive much of their business from tourists; fresh food vendors do not." Conversely, farmers have far more selling opportunities outside
1050-603: A form of public art . According to many art researchers, particularly in the Netherlands and in Los Angeles graffiti is an effective tool of social emancipation , or for the achievement of a political goal. In times of conflict graffiti has offered a means of communication and self-expression for members of these socially, ethnically, or racially divided communities, and has been an effective tool for establishing dialog. The Berlin Wall
1155-419: A form of vandalism. And many graffitists choose to protect their identities and remain anonymous to hinder prosecution. With the commercialization of graffiti (and hip hop in general), in most cases, even with legally painted "graffiti" art, graffitists tend to choose anonymity. This may be attributed to various reasons or a combination of reasons. Graffiti still remains the one of four hip hop elements that
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#17328842975471260-425: A graffiti-like gesture "the avant-garde won't give up". People who appreciate graffiti often believe that it should be on display for everyone in public spaces, not hidden away in a museum or a gallery. Art should color the streets, not the inside of some building. Graffiti is a form of art that cannot be owned or bought. It does not last forever, it is temporary, yet one of a kind. It is a form of self promotion for
1365-450: A human with the head of a donkey on a cross with the text "Alexamenos worships [his] god." The only known source of the Safaitic language, an ancient form of Arabic , is from graffiti: inscriptions scratched on to the surface of rocks and boulders in the predominantly basalt desert of southern Syria , eastern Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia . Safaitic dates from the first century BC to
1470-538: A large number of graffiti influences in Southeast Asian countries that mostly come from modern Western culture , such as Malaysia, where graffiti have long been a common sight in Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur . Since 2010, the country has begun hosting a street festival to encourage all generations and people from all walks of life to enjoy and encourage Malaysian street culture. Spray paint and markers are
1575-401: A lively mix. Some grandfathered vendors are allowed to sell merchandise not of their own making on essentially the same terms as craftspeople. Currently, there are rules to make sure that new crafts vendors demonstrate themselves to be skilled craftspeople making their own wares with minimal use of assistants. A standard Farm Table consists of two adjacent daystalls; a standard Craft Table is
1680-489: A middle ground between those two definitions, the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods' official 7-acre (28,000 m ) "Pike Place Market Historical District" includes the federally recognized Pike Place Public Market Historic District plus a slightly smaller piece of land between Western Avenue and Washington State Route 99 , on the side of the market toward Elliott Bay. To some extent, these different definitions of
1785-538: A month-to-month basis. About once a year, the PDA has occasion to refuse to renew when a merchant's lease ends. The Market is also a significant provider of low-income housing and social services. The Market Foundation supports the Pike Market Medical Clinic, Pike Market Senior Center, Downtown Food Bank, and Pike Market Childcare and Preschool (all within the Market), as well as low-income housing in and near
1890-521: A mural of Pete Carroll on the wall shortly after he departed as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks . Carroll had been known for chewing up to 130 pieces of gum on gamedays; the 2-foot (0.61 m) mural depicts him wearing a headset and is made of solid colors. Pike Place Market Pike Place Market is a public market in Seattle , Washington, United States. It opened on August 17, 1907, and
1995-472: A pig statue called "Pork'n Beans," purchased in the 2001 Pigs on Parade fundraiser. Starbucks now owns the Seattle's Best Coffee (SBC) brand, which traces its history back to Stewart Brothers' Coffee, which arrived in the Market several months before Starbucks was founded. On March 8, 2011, the store was the site of a NASDAQ opening bell ringing as Starbucks kicked off its 40th anniversary. Graffiti Graffiti (singular graffiti or graffito ,
2100-455: A prime example of the classic controversy: vandalism vs. art. Art supporters endorse his work distributed in urban areas as pieces of art and some councils, such as Bristol and Islington, have officially protected them, while officials of other areas have deemed his work to be vandalism and have removed it. Graffiti artists may become offended if photographs of their art are published in a commercial context without their permission. In March 2020,
2205-609: A result, increasingly Pike Place Market daystalls are devoted to flowers and crafts rather than edible produce. "The Market," wrote the City Auditor's office, ... can be “lost” in either of two ways: It can stray from its traditional character or it can fail financially as a business entity. If the Market is to survive and thrive as a business entity in the face of increasing competition from other farmers’ markets, modern full-service grocery stores, and retail shopping destinations in Seattle’s Central Business District,
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#17328842975472310-411: A single daystall. Daystalls are between 4 feet (1.2 m) and 5.5 feet (1.7 m) wide. Craftspeople have priority on the Desimone Bridge, the west side of the Market arcade north of the Desimone Bridge and the outdoor slabs between the arcade and Virginia Street; farmers have priority everywhere else. If farmers do not fill their priority tables, craftspeople may rent those, and vice versa . Priority
2415-606: A site for graffiti, reminiscent in this sense of the Berlin Wall . Many writers in Israel come from other places around the globe, such as JUIF from Los Angeles and DEVIONE from London. The religious reference "נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן" (" Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman ") is commonly seen in graffiti around Israel. Graffiti has played an important role within the street art scene in the Middle East and North Africa ( MENA ), especially following
2520-452: A stern look at whose turf is whose. The subject matter of gang-related graffiti consists of cryptic symbols and initials strictly fashioned with unique calligraphies . Gang members use graffiti to designate membership throughout the gang, to differentiate rivals and associates and, most commonly, to mark borders which are both territorial and ideological. Many analysts and art critics see artistic value in some graffiti and recognize it as
2625-618: A very active graffiti culture, and graffiti are very common in Brazilian cities. This is blamed on the high uneven distribution of income, changing laws, and disenfranchisement. Pichação is a form of graffiti found in Brazil, which involves tall characters and is usually used as a form of protest. It contrasts with the more conventionally artistic values of the practitioners of grafite . Prominent Brazilian writers include Os Gêmeos , Boleta, Nunca , Nina, Speto, Tikka, and T.Freak. There are also
2730-579: A week and craftspeople two days a week. To sell on a Saturday, vendors must sell at the Market a minimum of two weekdays of the preceding week. There are also allowances for taking vacations and sabbaticals without losing one's seniority. Senior Crafts Permit Holders—craftspeople who have sold in the Market for 30 years or more—need only rent (and use) a daystall once a week to maintain their seniority. The definition of permitted farm products includes (among other items) produce, flowers, eggs, cultivated mushrooms, meat, cultured shellfish, and dairy products. There
2835-414: Is Seattle's most popular tourist destination and the 33rd most visited tourist attraction in the world, with more than 10 million annual visitors. The Market is built on the edge of a steep hill and consists of several lower levels located below the main level. Each features a variety of unique shops such as antique dealers, comic book and collectible shops, small family-owned restaurants , and one of
2940-442: Is also a broader category of supplemental farm products such as wild-harvested berries and mushrooms, non-edible bee products, or holiday wreaths. These may be sold in conjunction with permitted farm products, but there are strict limitations to prevent these from becoming anyone's primary products. Rules vary significantly at different times of year. Farmers, craftspeople, and performers all must pay for an annual permit. As of 2008,
3045-431: Is an "inherent conflict... between the PDA's need to operate the Market as a successful business entity and its Charter obligation to support small owner-operated tenant businesses." As early as 1974, a Seattle Department of Community Development study noted space conflicts between farmers and craft vendors. Conflicts can be exacerbated because the stakeholders with conflicting needs are not talking to one another. Quoting
3150-773: Is considered vandalism . Modern graffiti began in the New York City subway system and Philadelphia in the early 1970s and later spread to the rest of the United States and throughout the world. "Graffiti" (usually both singular and plural) and the rare singular form "graffito" are from the Italian word graffiato ("scratched"). In ancient times graffiti were carved on walls with a sharp object, although sometimes chalk or coal were used. The word originates from Greek γράφειν — graphein —meaning "to write". Most petroglyphs and geoglyphs date between 40,000 and 10,000 years old,
3255-556: Is further set by separate seniority lists, one for farmers and one for craftspeople. For farmers, other factors besides seniority come into play, mainly how often the person sells at the Market. Farmers can pass permits through their family. The rules for joint and family crafts businesses are far more complex. While farmers and craftspeople may make some use of agents to sell on their behalf (including vendors functioning on different days as one another's agents), in order to maintain their seniority farmers must be physically present one day
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3360-507: Is known for his political, anti-war stencil art mainly in Bristol , England, but his work may be seen anywhere from Los Angeles to Palestine . In the UK, Banksy is the most recognizable icon for this cultural artistic movement and keeps his identity a secret to avoid arrest. Much of Banksy's artwork may be seen around the streets of London and surrounding suburbs, although he has painted pictures throughout
3465-575: Is located at the start of the Ghost Tour, and also a popular site with wedding photographers. Oftentimes, visitors create declarations of love out of gum, making for a comparison of the gum wall to other romantic spots such as the Pont des Art in Paris. Some argue that the gum wall encourages litter as visitors usually stick items like cigarette butts or gum wrappers along the wall. There were also prior complaints that
3570-548: Is managed and hires an executive director to carry out those policies. Established in 1973, the PDA manages 80% of the properties in the city-recognized Market Historical District. Its founding law—the Market Charter—requires it to preserve, rehabilitate and protect the Market's buildings; increase opportunities for farm and food retailing in the Market; incubate and support small and marginal businesses; and provide services for low-income people. PDA revenues derive from
3675-405: Is not considered "performance art" despite the image of the "singing and dancing star" that sells hip hop culture to the mainstream. Being a graphic form of art, it might also be said that many graffitists still fall in the category of the introverted archetypal artist . Banksy is one of the world's most notorious and popular street artists who continues to remain faceless in today's society. He
3780-459: Is one of the oldest continuously operated public farmers' markets in the United States. Overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront on Puget Sound , it serves as a place of business for many small farmers, craftspeople and merchants . It is named for its central street, Pike Place, which runs northwest from Pike Street to Virginia Street on the western edge of Downtown Seattle . Pike Place Market
3885-625: Is overseen by the Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority (PDA), a public development authority established under Washington State law. It is overseen by a 12-member volunteer council. Its members serve four-year terms. Four members are appointed by mayor, four by the current council, and four by the Pike Place Market Constituency. The Market PDA sets the policies by which the Pike Place Market
3990-563: Is the most complex form of modern graffiti. It can be difficult for those unfamiliar with the art form to read. Wildstyle draws inspiration from calligraphy and has been described as partially abstract. The term "wildstyle" was popularized by the Wild Style graffiti crew formed by Tracy 168 of the Bronx , New York in 1974. Modern graffiti art often incorporates additional arts and technologies. For example, Graffiti Research Lab has encouraged
4095-650: Is then placed on the "canvas" gently and with quick, easy strokes of the aerosol can, the image begins to appear on the intended surface. Some of the first examples were created in 1981 by artists Blek le Rat in Paris, in 1982 by Jef Aerosol in Tours (France); by 1985 stencils had appeared in other cities including New York City, Sydney, and Melbourne , where they were documented by American photographer Charles Gatewood and Australian photographer Rennie Ellis. Stickers, also known as slaps, are drawn or written on before being put up in public. Traditionally, free paper stickers like
4200-550: The Finnish graffiti artist Psyke expressed his displeasure at the newspaper Ilta-Sanomat publishing a photograph of a Peugeot 208 in an article about new cars, with his graffiti prominently shown on the background. The artist claims he does not want his art being used in commercial context, not even if he were to receive compensation. Territorial graffiti marks urban neighborhoods with tags and logos to differentiate certain groups from others. These images are meant to show outsiders
4305-568: The Gulf countries like Bahrain or the United Arab Emirates , Israel , and in Iran . The major Iranian newspaper Hamshahri has published two articles on illegal writers in the city with photographic coverage of Iranian artist A1one 's works on Tehran walls. Tokyo-based design magazine, PingMag , has interviewed A1one and featured photographs of his work. The Israeli West Bank barrier has become
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4410-472: The United States Postal Service 's Label 228 or name tags were used. Eggshell stickers, which are very difficult to remove, are also frequent. Stickers allow artists to put up their art quickly and discreetly, making them a relatively safer option for illegal graffiti. Tagging is the practice of writing ones "their name, initial or logo onto a public surface" in a handstyle unique to
4515-460: The anarcho-punk band Crass , who conducted a campaign of stenciling anti-war , anarchist , feminist , and anti-consumerist messages throughout the London Underground system during the late 1970s and early 1980s. In Amsterdam , graffiti was a major part of the punk scene. The city was covered in names such as "De Zoot", "Vendex", and "Dr Rat". To document the graffiti, a punk magazine
4620-535: The central waterfront and Elliott Bay . Boundaries are diagonal to the compass since the street grid is roughly parallel to the Elliott Bay shoreline. As is common with Seattle neighborhoods and districts, different people and organizations draw different boundaries for the market. The City Clerk's Neighborhood Map Atlas gives one of the more expansive definitions, defining a "Pike-Market" neighborhood extending from Union Street northwest to Virginia Street and from
4725-399: The "Seattle establishment" soon got that reduced to a tenth of that area. The present-day historic district designations lie between these extremes. Part of the market sits on what was originally mudflats below the bluffs west of Pike Place. In the late 19th century, West Street (now Western Avenue, angling away from Pike Place) was already a through street running more or less parallel to
4830-512: The 1974 essay "The Faith of Graffiti" referred to it using the term "graffiti", which stuck. An early graffito outside of New York or Philadelphia was the inscription in London reading " Clapton is God " in reference to the guitarist Eric Clapton . Creating the cult of the guitar hero, the phrase was spray-painted by an admirer on a wall in Islington , north London, in the autumn of 1967. The graffito
4935-552: The Market Historical District, especially the sale of local farm produce; to preserve and expand the residential community, especially for low-income people; to promote the survival and predominance of small shops, marginal businesses, thrift shops, arts and crafts, and other enterprises, activities, and services which are essential to the functioning of the Public Market . The City Auditor's office has stated that there
5040-464: The Market than in the early and mid-20th century. As late as 1990, there were about ten farmers markets in Washington. By 1999 there were more than sixty. Most are seasonal weekend markets without most of the Pike Place Market's amenities, but they are not swarmed with tourists, parking is free or inexpensive and relatively plentiful, and food is the main focus of those markets, not crafts or flowers. As
5145-492: The Market's farmers. The PDA is a public trustee charged with many potentially conflicting goals. Its charter mandates it to "ensure that the traditional character of the Public Market is preserved." It is specifically mandated to ... afford... a continuing opportunity for Public Market farmers, merchants, residents, shoppers, and visitors to carry on their tradition and market activities... upgrad[e] structures and public amenities... initiate programs to expand food retailing in
5250-803: The Market's senior center. Services include hot lunches for low-income seniors, help in finding housing and jobs, and a variety of classes ranging from physical fitness and health to language, geography, art, and computer training. The Downtown Food Bank, located in the Public Market Parking Garage on Western Avenue provides groceries to approximately 1,000 people a week. About 265 bags of groceries are delivered weekly to homebound downtown residents. About 160 families receive infant milk, baby food and diapers. The child care and preschool serves 90–100 families with children ages 2–5 each year. 84% of families with children attending are low-income and receive tuition assistance. Besides its educational aspects,
5355-582: The Market's tenants through rent, utilities, and other property management activities. The same 1973 charter that established the PDA also established the Pike Place Market Constituency. The Constituency elects one member to the PDA Council each year. Anyone 16 years of age or older who lives in Washington State can become a member of the Constituency by paying $ 1 yearly dues. Operating independently of
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#17328842975475460-484: The Market. They provide Market Fresh coupons to their low-income tenants, redeemable for Market produce, and implement the FoodLink program that distributes unsold Market produce to other Seattle food banks and meal programs. The money placed in the Market's giant piggybank goes to this foundation, as do the funds raised by several annual or intermittent fundraisers, including Pigs on Parade . About 500 people live in
5565-471: The Market. Most of these buildings have been low-income housing in the past; however, some of them no longer are, such as the Livingston Baker apartments. The Market is run by the quasi-governmental Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority (PDA). The Market is located roughly in the northwest corner of Seattle's central business district . To its north is Belltown . To its southwest are
5670-408: The Market. Then they conclude that the PDA is not taking their comments and suggestions seriously . Language barriers also play a role. For example, most of the flower vendors in the Market are Hmong ; during the difficult negotiations in 1999 over replacing the Hildt Agreement, many were apparently under a misimpression that the proposed agreement would have halved the vending space they received for
5775-538: The PDA must strike a balance between the Market’s original old-world market character and modern business practices . The Market's "Meet the Producer" mandate now includes craftspeople as well as farmers. Both can rent daystalls. Farmers take historic precedence, but the PDA "acknowledges the rightful and permanent position of handmade arts and crafts as an integral use of the Market's Daystalls" and their rules seek to encourage
5880-592: The PDA, the Market Historical Commission (established by the 1971 initiative to preserve the Market) has the specific mandate to preserve the Market's physical and social character as "the soul of Seattle." The commission must approve any substantive change in the use or design of buildings and signage in the Historical District, even when these actions are taken by the PDA itself. Members of the 12-member commission are appointed to three-year terms by
5985-681: The Spoonman and Jim Page . Friends of the Market, which spun out of Allied Arts in 1964 and over the next seven years spearheaded the activist work that saved the Market is no longer a driving force in the Market. Still, as noted above, they have two seats on the Historical Commission. They also give tours of the Market. The Market Foundation (established 1982) was founded to support the Market's services for low-income people. The foundation now also supports heritage programs, improvements and repairs to historic buildings, and programs that assist
6090-697: The arrival of American graffiti and was associated more with the punk rock scene than with hip-hop. In the 1980s, American graffiti and hiphop began to influence the European graffiti scene. Modern graffiti reached Eastern Europe in the 1990s. Some of the earliest graffiti exhibitions outside of the USA were in Amsterdam , The Netherlands. Graffiti in the Middle East has emerged slowly, with taggers operating in Egypt , Lebanon ,
6195-401: The artist that can be displayed anywhere from sidewalks, roofs, subways, building wall, etc. Art to them is for everyone and should be shown to everyone for free. Graffiti is a way of communicating and a way of expressing onesself. It is both art and a functional thing that can warn people of something or inform people of something. However, graffiti is to some people a form of art, but to some
6300-455: The city to designate tracts of land as public markets and designated a portion of the area of Western Avenue above the Elliott Bay tideflats off Pike Street and First Avenue. The market was opened Saturday, August 17, 1907, by City Council President Charles Hiram Burnett Jr. The first building at the Market, the Main Arcade, opened November 30, 1907. Demand for stalls grew and by 1911
6405-774: The city's Department of Design, Construction and Land Use (DCLU) can enforce their decisions. Another key organization in the affairs of the Market is the Pike Place Merchants Association. Officially incorporated in 1973, it traces its history back to the Farm Association established in the 1920s. The association connects market vendors to legal, accounting, bookkeeping, business insurance, and health insurance services and provides free online advertising for its members. It also represents its members and attempts to advance their interests and opinions. All PDA tenants are required to be members; daystall vendors also have
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#17328842975476510-477: The death of Charlie Parker (nicknamed "Yardbird" or "Bird"), graffiti began appearing around New York with the words "Bird Lives". Modern graffiti style has been heavily influenced by hip hop culture and started with young people in 1960s and 70s in New York City and Philadelphia . Tags were the first form of stylised contemporary graffiti, starting with artists like TAKI 183 and Cornbread . Later, artists began to paint throw-ups and pieces on trains on
6615-710: The events of the Arab Spring of 2011 or the Sudanese Revolution of 2018/19. Graffiti is a tool of expression in the context of conflict in the region, allowing people to raise their voices politically and socially. Famous street artist Banksy has had an important effect in the street art scene in the MENA area, especially in Palestine where some of his works are located in the West Bank barrier and Bethlehem . South America has
6720-431: The fee is $ 35 for farmers and craftspeople, $ 30 for performers. Craftspeople who vend off season—January through March—pay an additional $ 35 for a separate permit. For performers, this annual fee is their only fee. Farmers and craftspeople pay day rent for any daystalls they use. Depending on the season and the day of the week, a daystall may rent for anywhere from $ 5.85 for a stall on a Monday-Thursday off season to $ 32.85 on
6825-516: The fourth century AD. Ancient tourists visiting the 5th-century citadel at Sigiriya in Sri Lanka write their names and commentary over the "mirror wall", adding up to over 1800 individual graffiti produced there between the 6th and 18th centuries. Most of the graffiti refer to the frescoes of semi-nude females found there. Among the ancient political graffiti examples were Arab satirist poems. Yazid al-Himyari, an Umayyad Arab and Persian poet,
6930-476: The gum remained amid several cleanings of the walls under orders from the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority . The market's officials reversed course and allowed the gum wall to stay, deeming it to be a tourist attraction around 1999. By the late 2000s, the gum wall had grown to 50 feet (15 m) long and included pieces as high as 20 feet (6.1 m). Some contributors to
7035-407: The gum wall arranged their pieces to create small works of art. As of 2024, the gum wall is 54 feet (16 m) long and 8 feet (2.4 m) high, with an estimated density of 180 pieces of gum per brick. On November 3, 2015, the Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority announced that the wall would be fully cleaned for the first time in 20 years. The steam cleaning and maintenance
7140-405: The gum was being tracked into nearby businesses and that it attracts rats in the alley. Bars and restaurants situated across from the attraction attempted to prevent gum from reaching their properties by displaying signs with the message "No Gum," but this strategy proved ineffective. Although officials of the Pike Place Market defined the concern about the gum affecting the brick wall, some may see
7245-509: The late 1800s. The Bozo Texino monikers were documented by filmmaker Bill Daniel in his 2005 film, Who is Bozo Texino? . Contemporary graffiti has been seen on landmarks in the US, such as Independence Rock , a national landmark along the Oregon Trail . In World War II , an inscription on a wall at the fortress of Verdun was seen as an illustration of the US response twice in a generation to
7350-528: The latter only used in graffiti archeology ) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elaborate wall paintings, and has existed since ancient times , with examples dating back to ancient Egypt , ancient Greece , and the Roman Empire . Modern graffiti is a controversial subject. In most countries, marking or painting property without permission
7455-766: The legal problems of the IBM campaign, Sony paid building owners for the rights to paint on their buildings "a collection of dizzy-eyed urban kids playing with the PSP as if it were a skateboard, a paddle, or a rocking horse". When graffiti is done as an art form, it often utitlises the Latin script even in countries where it is not the primary writing system. English words are also often used as monikers. Stencil graffiti artists such as Blek le Rat existed in Western Europe, especially in Paris , before
7560-457: The main tools used for tagging , throw ups , and pieces . Paint markers , paint dabbers, and scratching tools are also used. Some art companies, such as Montana Colors , make art supplies specifically for graffiti and street art. Many major cities have graffiti art stores. Stencil graffiti is created by cutting out shapes and designs in a stiff material (such as cardboard or subject folders ) to form an overall design or image. The stencil
7665-604: The market district result from struggles between preservationists and developers. For example, the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 created the Washington Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Victor Steinbrueck , at one point in the late 1960s, convinced the Advisory Council to recommend designating 17 acres (69,000 m ) as a historical district. Pressure by developers and
7770-1023: The market. Approximately 90% are low-income seniors with subsidized rents. Their average income is only $ 11,095 a year. Among the low-income units in the Market are 41 in the LaSalle Hotel, 51 in Market House, 44 in the Stewart House and 96 in the Livingston-Baker. The Pike Market Medical Clinic provides primary care and ancillary services to 3,600 patients. Most of these are either elderly, HIV -positive, or working poor. One third homeless, 30% are physically disabled, and 60% have severe mental illness and/or chemical addiction. The clinic provides basic medical care, subsidized prescriptions, lab work, mental health counseling, drug and alcohol counseling, connections to other community services, and sometimes even assistance in finding housing. Approximately 900 people use
7875-564: The mayor. At any time, the commission consists of two members each from the Friends of the Market, Inc., Allied Arts of Seattle , Inc., and the Seattle chapter of the American Institute of Architects ; two owners of property within the district; two Market merchants, and two district residents. They meet 22 times a year. The Seattle Department of Neighborhoods provides them with a staff person, and
7980-427: The needs of the Market's commercial business activities and Market residents. Performers may receive donations and may display their recordings for sale, but prohibited from active solicitation of donations and from active sale of "any product associated with the performance". In keeping with their lack of day fees, individual performers are not assigned specific places and times to perform. There are only positions in
8085-564: The newly cleaned wall. Some of the new additions were memorials to the November 2015 Paris attacks . The gum wall was cleaned again in September 2018 and November 2024. It was named one of the top 5 "germiest" tourist attractions in 2009, second to the Blarney Stone . The Washington state governor, Jay Inslee , said it is his "favorite thing about Seattle you can't find anywhere else". The Gum Wall
8190-597: The number of available stalls had doubled. The west side of the stall lines were soon covered in an overhead canopy and roofing, becoming known as the "dry row". In 1916 the market expanded into the Economy Market . Throughout the early 1920s, the north side of the Corner Market became known as the Sanitary Market and the area developed into a social scene. A new ordinance forbidding farmers' stalls to be placed in
8295-479: The oldest head shops in Seattle. The upper street level contains fishmongers , fresh produce stands and craft stalls operating in the covered arcades . Local farmers and craftspeople sell year-round in the arcades from tables they rent from the Market on a daily basis, in accordance with the Market's mission and founding goal: allowing consumers to "Meet the Producer". Pike Place Market is home to nearly 500 residents who live in eight different buildings throughout
8400-576: The oldest being cave paintings in Australia. Paintings in the Chauvet Cave were made 35,000 years ago, but little is known about who made them or why. Early artists created stencil graffiti of their hands with paint blown through a tube. These stencils may have functioned similarly to a modern-day tag . The oldest written graffiti was found in Ancient Rome around 2500 years ago. Most graffiti from
8505-523: The option to join. Since 1974, the association has published the monthly Pike Place Market News , which promotes the Market and its neighborhood. For over three decades, the association sponsored a Memorial Day fair at the market; financial difficulties caused cancellation of the fair in 2004. A separate Daystall Tenants Association (DTA) formed in the late 1980s to represent the specific interests of daystall vendors. The DTA formed in response to proposed increases in daystall rental rates. Most members pay
8610-514: The participation in sticking up the substance as attributing to collective action . Many may classify the spot as a 'collective art' piece, where something colloquially bad has been transformed into artwork. The wall is also usually decorated with physical copies of some artists' work that they stick up. Given that the wall is rarely cleaned, many practice graffiti art on spots where there is less gum and more visibility. In January 2024, local artist Rudy Willingham chewed 200 pieces of gum to create
8715-621: The ruins of Nero's Domus Aurea , they carved or painted their names and returned to initiate the grottesche style of decoration. In the 1790s, French soldiers carved their names on monuments during the Napoleonic campaign of Egypt . Lord Byron 's survives on one of the columns of the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion in Attica , Greece. The oldest known example of graffiti monikers were found on traincars created by hobos and railworkers since
8820-409: The same City Auditor's report: Most Market tenants do not routinely communicate with tenants in other areas of the Market. As a result, they sometimes criticize the PDA for not implementing suggestions they believe would work for them and their close neighbors—e.g., closing all or part of Pike Place to auto traffic—not realizing that their “solutions” would create problems for tenants in other parts of
8925-478: The same strict requirements as for daystalls, most commercial Market merchants are owner-operated businesses. In the 1970s, when the Market was undergoing extensive rehabilitation and the future of the Market was somewhat unstable, the PDA consolidated its merchant base by giving merchant tenants very favorable leases, with longer terms and lower rates than were available elsewhere in Downtown Seattle. This policy
9030-416: The school provides these children with breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks and has a full-time, onsite child and family support professional to identify resources children their families might need and to link them to those resources. One of the Market's major attractions is Pike Place Fish Market , where employees throw three-foot salmon and other fish to each other rather than passing them by hand. When
9135-401: The shore. Railroad Avenue (now Alaskan Way) was built farther out on pilings; it was not filled in until the 1930s. Nearby piers with warehouses for convenient stevedoring had already been completed by 1905, two years before the market opened. The market was created in 1907 when city councilman Thomas P. Revelle took advantage of the precedent of an 1896 Seattle city ordinance that allowed
9240-477: The sides subway trains. and eventually moved into the city after the NYC metro began to buy new trains and paint over graffiti. While the art had many advocates and appreciators—including the cultural critic Norman Mailer —others, including New York City mayor Ed Koch , considered it to be defacement of public property, and saw it as a form of public blight. While those who did early modern graffiti called it "writing",
9345-412: The street resulted in proposals to move the market, but in 1921 council voted to retain the existing location and work on expanding in place. In 1963, a proposal was floated to demolish Pike Place Market and replace it with Pike Plaza , which met community opposition, including help from Betty Bowen , Victor Steinbrueck, Ibsen Nelsen, and others from the board of Friends of the Market. An initiative
9450-596: The time was boasts about sexual experiences, but also includes word games such as the Sator Square , "I was here" type markings, and comments on gladiators. Graffiti in Ancient Rome was a form of communication, and was generally not considered vandalism. Certain graffiti was seen as blasphemous and was removed, such as the Alexamenos graffito , which may contain one of the earliest depictions of Jesus . The graffito features
9555-482: The use of projected images and magnetic light-emitting diodes ( throwies ) as new media for graffitists. Yarnbombing is another recent form of graffiti. Yarnbombers occasionally target previous graffiti for modification, which had been avoided among the majority of graffitists. Theories on the use of graffiti by avant-garde artists have a history dating back at least to the Asger Jorn , who in 1962 painting declared in
9660-483: The waterfront northeast to Second Avenue. Despite coming from the City Clerk's office, this definition has no special official status. The smaller "Pike Place Public Market Historic District" listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places is bounded roughly by First Avenue, Virginia Street, Western Avenue, and a building wall about halfway between Union and Pike Streets, running parallel to those streets. In
9765-401: The world, including the Middle East, where he has painted on Israel's controversial West Bank barrier with satirical images of life on the other side. One depicted a hole in the wall with an idyllic beach, while another shows a mountain landscape on the other side. A number of exhibitions also have taken place since 2000, and recent works of art have fetched vast sums of money. Banksy's art is
9870-649: The writer. Tags were the first form of modern graffiti. A number of recent examples of graffiti make use of hashtags . Throw ups, or throwies are large, bubble-writing graffiti which aim to be "throw onto" a surface as largely and quickly as possible. Throw ups can have fills or be "hollow". They prioritise minimal negative space and consistency or letter space and height. Pieces are large, elaborate, letter-based graffiti which usually use spray paint or rollers. Pieces often have multi-coloured fills and outlines, and may use highlights, shadows, backgrounds, extensions, 3D effects, and sometimes characters . Wildstyle
9975-523: The wrongs of the Old World: Austin White – Chicago, Ill – 1918 Austin White – Chicago, Ill – 1945 This is the last time I want to write my name here. During World War II and for decades after, the phrase " Kilroy was here " with an accompanying illustration was widespread throughout the world, due to its use by American troops and ultimately filtering into American popular culture. Shortly after
10080-504: Was captured in a photograph, in which a dog is urinating on the wall . Films like Style Wars in the 80s depicting famous writers such as Skeme, Dondi , MinOne, and ZEPHYR reinforced graffiti's role within New York's emerging hip-hop culture. Although many officers of the New York City Police Department found this film to be controversial, Style Wars is still recognized as the most prolific film representation of what
10185-472: Was contracted to a local company and cost about $ 4,000 to complete. The temperature of the steam machines reached up to 280 °F (138 °C), delaminating the gum pieces and ensuring that the low pressure would not harm the bricks. The discarded gum was then sent to a normal landfill rather than composted. After the cleaning was finished, gum began to be re-added to the wall almost immediately, as there were no preventative measures to prohibit sticking gum to
10290-489: Was extensively covered by graffiti reflecting social pressures related to the oppressive Soviet rule over the GDR . Graffiti often has a reputation as part of a subculture that rebels against authority, although the considerations of the practitioners often diverge and can relate to a wide range of attitudes. It can express a political practice and can form just one tool in an array of resistance techniques. One early example includes
10395-541: Was going on within the young hip hop culture of the early 1980s. Fab 5 Freddy and Futura 2000 took hip hop graffiti to Paris and London as part of the New York City Rap Tour in 1983. With the popularity and legitimization of graffiti has come a level of commercialization. In 2001, computer giant IBM launched an advertising campaign in Chicago and San Francisco which involved people spray painting on sidewalks
10500-503: Was intended to prevent further erosion of the bricks on the walls from the sugar in the gum. Prior to this, it had only ever been spot-cleaned in areas where gum had been placed in prohibited areas. In response to online posts, Pike Place Market officials launched a photo contest, encouraging fans to share their personal photos and memories of the wall online. Work began on November 10 and took 130 hours to complete, with over 2,350 pounds (1,070 kg) of gum removed and disposed of. The work
10605-503: Was most known for writing his political poetry on the walls between Sajistan and Basra , manifesting a strong hatred towards the Umayyad regime and its walis , and people used to read and circulate them very widely. Graffiti, known as Tacherons, were frequently scratched on Romanesque Scandinavian church walls. When Renaissance artists such as Pinturicchio , Raphael , Michelangelo , Ghirlandaio , or Filippino Lippi descended into
10710-404: Was opened by three partners: Jerry Baldwin , Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker . They were inspired by Alfred Peet of Peet's Coffee to open the store and sell high-quality coffee beans and coffee making equipment and accessories. The sign outside this branch, unlike others, features the original logo – a bare-breasted siren that was modeled after a 15th-century Norse woodcut. It also features
10815-599: Was part of the reason that the PDA ran into the financial difficulties that led to its dealings with the Urban Group. The PDA now gives below-market rates only to start-up businesses, businesses or organizations designed to serve low and moderate income persons, and to "the Market’s unique character-defining businesses." The latter include produce, fish, and meat businesses. The PDA often will not renew multi-year leases for businesses with poor sales performance or other problems, but typically will allow them to remain indefinitely on
10920-507: Was passed on November 2, 1971, that created a historic preservation zone and returned the Market to public hands. In the 1980s, a nonprofit group, the Pike Place Market Foundation, was established by the PDA to raise funds and administer the Market's free clinic, senior center, low-income housing, and childcare center. The 1983 Hildt Amendment or Hildt Agreement (named after Seattle City Council member Michael Hildt) struck
11025-430: Was started that was called Gallery Anus . So when hip hop came to Europe in the early 1980s, there was already a vibrant graffiti culture. The student protests and general strike of May 1968 saw Paris bedecked in revolutionary, anarchistic, and situationist slogans such as L'ennui est contre-révolutionnaire ("Boredom is counterrevolutionary") and Lisez moins, vivez plus ("Read less, live more"). While not exhaustive,
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