The history of street art is long, and street art activists are some of the original offenders. Even though there are still complaints about some street art, in many places murals and public paintings have become welcome parts of the community.
However, the origins of street art are quite unaccepted. The public display was used by street art activists to get a message across to the public, and usually the message was something very controversial. Check out the slideshow for more.
66 Street Art Activists
Graffiti May Have Gone Mainstream, but These Artists Did It First:
Jessica Marcel — Jan 31, 2010 — Art & Design

66
Monopoly Graffiti
Classic Game-Inspired Street Art

65
Graffiti Police
Banksy Coke Cop Is An Arresting Example Of Street Art

64
Super-Sized Street Art
Alexandros Vasmulakis' Grandiose Graffiti
63
Japanese Street Art
Remo Camerota Releases Expansive ‘Graffiti Japan' Book
62
Mona Lisa Graffiti
The Classic Painting With a Street Art Spin
61
Preteen Street Artists
10-Year-Old Solveig is Hailed as the “Female Banksy”
60
Highlighter Street Art
Judith Supine's Colortastic Creations Light Up NYC Walls
59
Graffiti Warfare
Weapon-Inspired Street Art
58
Chalked Shadow Street Art
Ellis Gallagher Brings the Streets of New York to Life
57
Dr. Seuss-Inspired Street Art
Quirky Cartooning Channels Childhood Icon
56
Corporate Lowbrow Support
Nike Brings Street Art to Their TPE 6453 Creative Space
55
Guerrilla Street Shadows
Katie Sokoler's Playful Street Art Project
54
Skeletal Street Art
Anatomically Correct Graffiti
53
Expressive Street Art
Interactive Vandalism by Mentalgassi Features Funny Faces
52
Fine Art Graffiti Artists
Charming Baker's Paradoxical Street Art in London
51
Secret Street Art Shows
Banksy Exhibition in Bristol Brings it Back Home
50
Love Sharing Street Art
French Artist Remed Uses Walls to Celebrate Life
49
Dark Shadow Street Art
Sam3 Brushes The Streets of Spain With His Counter-Culture Touch
48
Triumphant Street Art Sites
Nysat Website Launches After Group Overcomes Lawsuits
47
Geotagged Graffiti
Street Art Fans Use Google Maps Street View to Locate Best Pieces in UK
46
Sweet Street Art
Maria Imaginario's Gooey Lisbon Graffiti
45
Quirky Doodled Street Art
20-Year-Old Graffiti Artist Takes His Talent Outdoors
44
Disfigured Street Art
Morbid Portraits of Pop Icons
43
Iconic Street Artist Arrests
Despite Fame, Shepard Fairey Busted for the 15th Time
42
Mean Street Art
Little Girl Trapped Behind A Grate By Dan Witz
41
Activist Street Art
Fauxreel's 'The Unaddressed' Addresses Homelessness in Toronto
40
Naughty Disney Subversion
Street Artist Creates Mickey Mouse as You've Never Seen Him Before
39
Street Art of Kids Classics
"Where the Wild Things Are" Gets a Pure Evil Graffiti Touch
38
Politically Powerful Street Art
Cash4 Uses Words, Simple Images in Political Graffiti
37
Street Art Porcelain
All City Graffiti Dishes Let You Add Sass and Class to Your Hip Loft
36
Girly Street Art Sneakers
Fafi by Adidas Collection Highlights Female Graffiti Artists
35
Calligraffiti
Calligraphy Meets Street Art in These Beautiful Works by Shoe
34
Street Artist Disguises
D*Face As A Council Worker
33
Gritty Graffiti Gear
Jon Naar & Stussy Make Street Art-Approved Shirts
32
Street Art Showcases
‘Whole in the Wall' Exhibition in New York Features Great Graffit
31
Flaming Graffiti
Fire Tagging NYC Street Artists Set Their Graffiti Ablaze
30
Falling Foxes
Street Artist Bonom Makes Building Length Graffiti
29
Street Art Collectives
Burning Candy
28
Street Art Museums
The Ephemeral Museum in Lisbon
27
Street Art Cartoon Makeovers
BLOC28 by Disney
26
Digital Requests for Graffiti
SMS Your Message to Palestinian Street Artists for the West Wall
25
Paint-Dripping Cars
BMW Krink Mini Gets Street Wise With Street Art
24
Norwegian Street Art
Government-Funded Graffiti
23
Urban Protest Art
The Anti-Gentrification Street Art in Alabama is Something Worth Fighting For
22
Street Artist Appreciation
Shepard Fairey's Print Retrospective at Merry Karnowsky Gallery
21
Subversive Street Art
Sir X Blends Whimsy & Scathing Social Commentary
20
Street Art Interventions
D.Billy Uses Art to Humorously Interact With the Streets
19
Street Art Spray Can Invasions
Subversive Urban Art by DFace
18
Conversational Street Art
Dave the Chimp's Unusually Sociable Graffiti Ethos
17
Stunned Street Art
Alsacherie's Unusual Poster Children at the KKO Festival
16
Dummiefied Installation Art
Mark Jenkins Street Art Provokes Thought
15
Illuminated Graffiti
New Guerrilla Street Art From Posterchild Fights City Debate
14
Self-Evaluation Street Art
The Sidewalk Psychiatry Project
13
Graffiti Notebooks
Scratchpad Features Blank NYC Walls for Your Street Art Homework
12
Mixed-Media Street Art
Zach Johnsen's 'The Wanderers' Blends Psychedelic Cartooning and Graffiti
11
Crowd-Sourced Graffiti
Cape Town Election Street Art Spurs Activism Through Stencils
10
Skeleton Street Art
Macabre Outdoor Creative Inspiration
9
Graffitied Offices
D*Face Gives Magazine HQ A Cloudy Street Art Makeover
8
'Guess Who?' Graffiti
Kids' Board Game Gets a Street Art Touch From Surplus Bargains
7
Giant Mouth Street Art
The ‘Big Mouth Project' by D*Face
6
South American Street Art
Gualicho's Graffiti is Colorful and Imaginative
5
Edgy Easter Street Art
Above's ‘AIG Easter Egg Hunt' Parodies Financial Bailouts
4
Repetitive Skywriting
'Cloud' by Ron English Takes Street Art Skyward
3
Pixacao Protests
Graffiti Artists Deface Street Art Exhibit
2
Social Commentary Graffiti
Street Art Comments On Bristol's Drinking Laws
1
Lyrical Graffiti
'Bittersweet Symphony' as Told Through Street Art
Related Ideas
Distorted Furniture Street Art
Alex Chinneck Designs the Surrealism First Kiss at Last Light
In-Person Gallery Experiences
Whataburger Museum of Art Brings Fan Creativity to Life at SXSW 2025
AI-Generated Real-World Transformations
AI-Artist Who Gives a Unique Design to Real Objects
Sporty Vibrant Collaborative Socks
MoMA and Nike Join Forces on the Everyday Sock
Artist-Centric Networking Events
Adidas x SNIPES Unveil The NYC Superstar & Empower Artists
Villain-Inspired Graphic Streetwear
©SAINT Mxxxxxx Celebrates Heath Ledger's Joker in New Capsule
New Yorker-Approved Campaigns
New York’s StreetEasy Urges You to Never Become a Former New Yorker
Museum-Collaborative Streetwear Series
BAPE Joins the Van Gogh Museum on a Joint Capsule
Groundbreaking AR Posters
Wall's Out-of-Home Ads Make AR Experiences Unmissable with WinDOOH Tech
NYC Culture-Inspired Streetwear
Public Assembly Debuts with Bold Street Staples
Statement Street Art
Alex Chinneck’s Surreal Street Art Transforms Bristol's Urban Landscape
Reimagined Artwork-Based Travel Campaigns
Plaza Premium Group Debuts 'The Art of Travel'
Groundbreaking Sticker Technology
StickerYou Recently Launched Its Image Transfer Sticker Product
Illustrative 420 Campaigns
Vizie Unveils His Latest Work for Grassroots' 420 Campaign
Bold Graffiti Printed Totes
Marc Jacobs Reprises the Stephen Sprouse x Marc Jacobs Tote Bag
Oil Painting-Inspired Rugs
Antonio Santín Presents a New Collection of Intricate Rugs
Individuality-Focused Brand Campaigns
Adidas Originals' New Campaign Champions Timeless Classics
Artistic Spray Paint Events
Rust-Oleum Will Debut Artist-Friendly Rust-O with an Exciting Event
AI-Generated Soup Can Art
The Campbell’s 'pAIntings' Initiative is Inspired by Artistic Greats
Inclusive Skincare Campaigns
Vaseline Launched Mended Murals Aim to Care for Skin of Color
Playful Modern Art Shows
Brent Estabrook Debuts 'Storytime' at the Maddox Gallery in Switzerland
Legacy Artist-Themed T-Shirts
Gap Partners with Legendary Artists on its New Shirt Capsule
Artful Updated 70s Apartment
Oikonomakis Siampakoulis architects Forms the Art Curator's Apartment
Creativity-Fostering Art Events
POSCA Becomes Secret Walls' Official Paint Marker
Artist-Inspired Sweaters
The Lee® X Basquiat™ Printed Sweater Fuses Collage and Graffiti Elements
Rediscovered Iconic Masterpieces
A Long-Lost Work from Gustav Klimt Will Embark on a Global Tour
Artistic Pilates Sock Collections
MoveActive Introduces the Art Series Collection
Graphic Collaborative Streetwear
Born x Raised Joins Online Ceramics on the Born Online Capsule
Sneaker Fused Ceramic Exhibitions
Roberto Lugo Presents the Drip Exhibition in New York
Vibrant Design Collections
Ali Beletic and Her Studio Launch the Neon Primitivism Series
Artist-Backed Breakdancing Sneaker
Futura Joins Nike to Decorate the Jam Sneaker Model
Art-Promoting Campaigns
Beige Billboards Spark a Bold Call to Save Charlotte’s Art Scene
Psychedelic Sculptural Art Installations
The Frank Stella: Recent Sculpture Exhibition Opens in NY
Street Art Metaverses
LG OLED & Shepard Fairey Teamed up for a Frieze Los Angeles Exhibition
Battle-Style Art Events
Secret Walls Relaunches its 'The Art of Competition' Tour
Functional Illuminated Bricks
Omar Gandhi Architects Creates the OG Brick Light for Various Uses
Sexuality-Exploring Artful Exhibitions
Faye Toogood Explores Sensuality with the Rude Arts Club
Urban Sneaker-Inspired Exhibits
Museum of Graffiti Introduces the Sneaker Stories Pop-Up Exhibit
Free Outdoor AR Exhibitions
Window Wonderland is Running Until January 31st in the Junction
Fine Art-Inspired Sneaker Designs
Vans and Gallery Dept. Partner Through the OTW by Vans Line
Creativity Time Capsules
Crayola's Campaign for Creativity Reunites Adults with Childhood Art
Colorfully Inflatable Art Installations
This Year's BlowUp Art The Hague Marks its Third
Removable Wall Paints
'UNPAINT' Can Be Easily Removed When Moving Out or Updating a Space
Innovative Outdoor Advertising Campaigns
Unilever's Dirt is Good Turns Billboards into Playgrounds
Compost-Turned Paint Toolkits
A Team at Virginia Tech Developed the Sustainable Painting Art Kit
Graffiti-Painted Beer Packaging
1664 x André Saraiva Debut a New Vibrant Collaboration
Pollution-Removing Murals
This Campaign Sucks by Dentsu Brings Awareness to London's Air Quality
Pop Art Creative Collections
The KAWS + Warhol UT Collection Caters to Art Lovers
Graffiti Artist-Made Rare Sneakers
Nike and Stash Breathe Life Back to Retro Sneaker Models
Provocative Guerrilla Campaigns
Jewelry Brand MWCurated Uses Fake Infidelity Flyers for Marketing
Maximalist Pop Art Sneakers
Keiichi Tanaami Joins adidas On a Pair of its Superstars
Visual Museum Campaigns
MoMA’s New Museum Campaign Transforms NYC into an Art Lover’s Paradise
Concept-Driven Public Art Installations
Ivan Toth Depeña Unveils Photon/s in Downtown Charlotte
Quirky Santa Murals
Cushelle Brings Holiday Cheer with Self-Care Encouraging Artwork
Neon Illuminated Art Installations
Morag Myerscough Creates the Love and Unity Sculpture
Perception-Challenging Art Exhibitions
Raise the Moral Studio Presents the Becoming Familiar Show
Graphic Fashion Animation Campaigns
Louis Vuitton Remasters Takashi Murakami's Superflat Animation
Vibrant Artist Pop-Up Books
Poposition Press Brings Life to the Keith Haring Pop-Up Book
Dynamic Art Exhibitions
The 'Art in Motion' Exhibition Features Moving Artworks
Art-Inspired Hair Salon Concepts
NOVA ARTS SALON is a Progressive Evolution in Salon Experience
90s Graffiti Culture-Inspired Streetwear
NEIGHBORHOOD and Subware Join Forces on a Capsule
Burgeoning Psychedelic Art Movements
The Chambers Project/PACT Embrace the Psychedelic Movement
Reimagined Artwork Puzzle Sets
LEGO Unveils the Keith Haring Dancing Figures Mural Art Set
Edgy Backpack-Centric Fashion Shows
Sprayground Debuts Its New Capsule — At The Edge of Time
Playful Creativity-Focused Campaigns
Sharpie® Launches the World is Your Canvas Tour
Mexican Heritage-Honoring Art Exhibits
Raul De Lara Designs the Raíces/Roots Exhibition
Tree-Integrated Mysterious Art
Banksy Unveils a Mysterious Tree Mural in London's Finsbury Park
Auto-Branded Multimedia Experiences
Audi Haus Performance Art is Free, Forward-Thinking & Exciting
Global AI Art Contests
Shutterstock and the UN Partner for the Canvas of the Future
Sneaker-Inspired Art Exhibitions
Roberto Lugo's 'Drip' Explores the Impact of the AF1 on Culture
Pop Art-Style Blocked Portraits
Ai Weiwei Presents Ai in Red Made from Bright LEGO Bricks
AI Tattoo Generators
Tattoo Canvas Has Endless Creative Possibilities for Artistic Expression
Community-Centric Art Galleries
The Tableau Gallery Will Host a Roster of Designe
Colorful Textile-Inspired Design Projects
Yinka Ilori Debuts Projects at ART on THE MART & NeoCon
Photo Animation Tools
a1.art Animates Photos and Transforms Them Into Story-Like Visuals
Subterranean Courtyard Galleries
Buzz Designs the Hermit Space Yards in Beijing Park
Illuminated Curtained Light Installations
Lachlan Turczan Adds to Making the Invisible Visible
Young-Artist Graphic Rug Collections
Alf Bärbel Wit Designs the LineLinesLines Collection
Pop Art Skateboard Capsules
THE SKATEROOM Unveils a Collection Inspired by Roy Lichtenstein
Online Lifestyle-Inspired Street Festivals
The Xiaohongshu Street Life Festival is Exciting
Mexican Heritage Art Installations
Raul De Lara Designs the Raíces/Roots Exhibition
Digital City-Inspired Art Works
New Digital Art is on Display in Grand Central Station
Customizable Kids Wall Art
DoodleFace Reinvents Wall Art with Developmentally-Friendly Designs
Italian Heritage Brand Identities
Sergio Soldano Launches Tableau D’Art in Cannes and Genoa
Graffiti Artist-Collab Streetwear
JA ONE XTC Joins Awake NY On a New Range of Apparel
Exploratory Art Exhibits
The Saga of the Department Stores Exhibit Explores Shopping’s Evolution
Creativity-Focused One-Day Activations
Crayola Canada Celebrates National Crayon Day in Toronto
Limited Art Apparel Collections
House Industries Launches the Autotype Series of Art and Apparel
Statement Wall Covering Collections
Wolf-Gordon Presents a Capsule of El Muro Wall Coverings
Contemporary Artful Bright Apartments
Butterfly Studios Designs a Bright Krakow Apartment
Decorative Removable Paints
Glasst Unveils Unpaint to Easily Remove Paint
Church-Housed Art Galleries
Greg Mike Expands Beyond His Well-Known Street Art and Murals
Spray Can Fragrances
Step Aboard's Chicago Perfumes Pay Homage to Works of Art
Street Artist Digitalized Exhibitions
LG OLED and Shepard Fairey Showcase Digital Street Art
Bubblegum Street Art Buildings
Frankey Designs the Playful Hubbabubbabuilding
Hip-Hop-Influenced Art Installations
B-side: (Broken) Memory and Remix Presents the BRIC House
Creatively Sponsored Art Events
Sharpie is Sponsoring the Upcoming Art Battle Event in Los Angeles
Baseball-Inspired Manhole Covers
MLB Honors Japanese Stars with Custom-Designed Manhole Covers
Enigmatic Graffiti Incidents
Toronto's Museum of New Calls Attention to Mystery Graffiti
Art-Focused Hair Salons
John Steinberg and Associates Recently Launched a New Gallery Space
Photographer-Collab Card Games
Gray Malin's Work is Highlighted in the New UNO Artiste Series
Scannable Skincare Murals
The Ordinary's Interactive Augmented Reality Mural Promotes Bodycare
Global Storytelling Initatives
Vans Announces its Narrative-Centric Always Pushing Campaign
Public Bench Interpretation Exhibitions
Eight Designers Form the Works in Progress III Show
Street Art-Adorned Perforated Footwear
Crocs Joins Futura Laboraties on a New Set of Shoes
Art Identity Platforms
ID.ART Empowers Creatives To Digitize, Promote, and Monetize Artworks
Artfully Inspired Home Renovations
Reflect Architecture Designs the North Drive House in Toronto
Sculptural Gallery Art Exhibitions
Kennedy Yanko Presents Two New Galleries in NYC
Bespoke Car Art
Heritage Customs X Henk Schiffmacher Create a Tattoo-Inspired Land Rover Defender
Brutalism Pop Art Residences
02A Studio Presents the Casa Polly in Historic Rome Quarters
Provocative Banned Books Installations
The American Bookbinders Museum Debuts 'Banned Books Jail'
Generative AI Historical Art
Google Presents the Art Selfie 2 Feature Fusing Art and Selfies
Collaborative Art Platforms
Everyone Draw Invites Artists to Create with Others on Infinite Canvas
Ball Game-Promoting Urban Initiatives
London Sport and Saatchi & Saatchi Run 'More Ball Games'
Creative Sun Safety Installations
Giant Beach Installation is a Reminder to Practice Sun Safety
Festive Light Painting Techniques
NASA Astronauts Creates Captivating Light Paintings
Interactive Typo Art Installations
Pasha Radetzki Creates the Love-Ego=LOV in New York
Swirled Public Art Installations
FreelandBuck Designs the Tunnel Vision Installation
Vibrant Public Art Installations
Rico Gatson's Installation Brings Life to Penn Station
Artist Protection Tools
Glaze Protects Artists by Preventing AI from Mimicking Their Unique Styles
Identity-Exploring Artful Designs
MAIII Collective Presents Fragments in Stockholm
Electric Heritage-Based Apartments
Yana Molodykh Renovates the Landscape Alley Apartment
Expansive Month-Long Fashion Celebrations
Fashion Art Toronto Marks Its 20th Anniversary
Community-Centric Sculptural Installations
Naoto Fukasawa & Jakuets Design the Playful Sculptures
Video Game-Themed Pixel Paintings
Minecraft Honors Anniversary with a Pixel Art Collection
Boundless Art Exhibitions
The Frameless Experience Showcases Iconic Art Beyond Reality
Nature-Inspired Urban Art Installations
Kriskadecor Adds New Artful Installations to its Offices
Artistic QR Codes
QR Artwork Directory Creates QR Codes That Boost User Engagement
Bright London Typeface Installations
Yinka Ilori Showcases Good Things Come to Those Who Wait
Beginner Artistic Inspiration
Drawing Prompts Helps Artists Develop a Consistent Practice
Inaugural Design Exhibitions
Francesco Balzano's Inizio Show is Presented by STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN
Natural Material-Transformed Artworks
Borrowed Earth Collaborative Uses Natural Materials for Art
Mysterious Painted Car-Door Auctions
Banksy's Crazy Horse Artwork Goes to Auction
Romantic Debut Solo Exhibitions
EJR Barnes Debuts A Room on East 79th Street Show
Empowering Artful Basketball Courts
Na Chainkua Reindorf Creates Bright Art for NYC Courts
Politically Artful Textile Shows
Barbican Hosts Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art
Free City-Wide Museum Days
Museums Free-for-All Offers Free Admission to L.A's Museums
Archaeological Protection Initiatives
The Remains of the Curtain Playhouse are Uncovered in London
Colonial History Art Exhibitions
RIBA Presents Raise the Roof: Building for Change
Contemporary Permanent Art Displays
Cj Hendry Introduces the HOOPS Tree Installation in Miami