Global Track: 15 Graffiti Artists With Fresh Pieces in Baltimore

Global Track is our bi-weekly street art column by Rhiannon Platt.

Two years ago, Brooklyn and Baltimore-based street artist Gaia began a mural program, called Open Walls Baltimore, that would make the city an essential part of the global discussion about mural art. While the street art world just began to take notice, writers had been working in the city for decades.

Baltimore provides the perfect storm for graffiti writers: seclusion, abandoned spaces, and cops who have bigger problems than vandalism, all which contribute to the development of the vibrant graffiti culture. Freights play an additional role, bringing monikers (people who write on trains) to the area, as well as providing a route out for Baltimore locals to escape.

This list of 15 Graffiti Artists With Fresh Pieces in Baltimore features a diverse representation of the community in the city: visiting artists and residents, illegal and independent legal walls, wildstyle and crisp rollers. And this is only a fraction of the expanse provided by Baltimore’s many bridges, tunnels, rivers, and train tracks. Check out the thriving graffiti scene in Baltimore.

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Artist's hometown: Transient

Droid 907, along with fellow writers like members of NGC crew, lives a transient life that leads him to many train tracks, including the ones in Baltimore. Droid 907 has rollers in just about every major graffiti spot in the city. His Punk, Rack, Paint roller, created with Cash4 and Avoid a few years ago, remains one of the best.

Artist's hometown: Reno, Nevada

While in town for Open Walls Baltimore in 2012, Overunder covered the city with illegal works. Although many of his wheatpastes are gone, his other works can also be found stickered, tagged, and rolled throughout the city.

Artist's hometown: Baltimore

A member of NGC crew, Senz puts up colorful fill-ins along the city's rivers and under its tunnels. Not as transient as his other crew members, you can find a large concentration of his work in Baltimore alongside MTN and Fisho.

Artist's hometown: New York

Fazlalizadeh's "Stop Telling Women to Smile" campaign, which started in New York, is a project that combats the sexual harassment women face everyday on the street. Fazlalizadeh created posters depicting strong women with slogans like, "Women Do Not Owe You Their Time Or Conversation," "My Name Is Not Baby," and "Stop Telling Women to Smile."

Rumor has it that Maryland Institute College of Art students were so empowered by the campaign that they took it upon themselves to place several of the artist's works throughout the city. Since then, Fazlalizadeh has visited Baltimore to spread her street harassment campaign even further. The series can be found throughout Station North Arts and Entertainment District.

Artist's hometown: Transient

Frequently partnering with Nugz, Reverend sticks to predominately abandoned locations, which provide a solitude not afforded in the streets. The artist utilizes these locations for intricate rollers. In a more populated area, Reverend also completed a top-down two color roller on North Avenue with Nugz.

Artist's hometown: Transient

Like Reverend, Nugz also thrives in unused buildings in less financially stable cities, including Baltimore and Detroit. Typographically trained, the artist creates entire fonts for a single space. If you are in an illegal spot in Baltimore, chances are Nugz has been there.

Artist's hometown: New York

New York-based writer Cash4 partnered with Droid 907 on several pieces in Baltimore. While some stickers can still be found, the hidden rollers are the real treasures. Cutting through bush and freight lines, Cash4 adventured to some of the city's best spots.

Artist's hometown: Transient

Before taking to the road, MTN NGC lived in Baltimore. In his years in the city, he managed to leave his name and signature mountain adorned with wings in numerous locations. The artist is a master of just about every medium, and graffiti fans can find his extinguishers, drip tags, pieces, rollers, and stickers on nearly every surface.

Artist's hometown: Baltimore

Baltimore local Nether leaves his figurative work in spots both legal and illegal. The artist has also dedicated his time to using murals to expose slumlord conditions through the "Wall Hunters" project, an initiative in partnership with Slumlord Watch where street artists, like Gaia, LNY, and Gabriel Specter, painted illegal murals on buildings that are owned by slumlords. The murals were put there to bring attention to people who are maintaining dilapidated buildings in Baltimore. Each piece had a QR code and text on the wall with information about the slumlord who owns the building.

Artist's hometown: Baltimore

Although Vulpes Vulpes has created few walls in the city, the importance of his message is worth noting. Themes of solidarity run through his work, which often features foxes. The artist has recently painted two large-scale un-commissioned walls, a feat that could only be accomplished in a city like Baltimore.

Artist's hometown: Baltimore

As of late, Gaia has become known for founding of the Open Walls Baltimore festival. However, the artist previously focused on illegal spaces and other commissions prior to curating the OWB lineup. Having spent four years attending the Maryland Institute of College of Art, Gaia had plenty of time to accrue spots.

Artist's hometown: Baltimore

Stab HOD, short for Hands of Doom, is one of Baltimore's traditional graffiti practitioners. One of his most powerful pieces in the city is a touching tribute piece for his daughter Hadan, who passed away.

Artist's hometown: Baltimore

In the same crew as MTN, Fisho was dominating Baltimore before linking up with the 907 crew, which Droid belongs to. In the following years, he has expanded to New York and North Carolina although Baltimore still remains his primary city.

Artist's hometown: Philadelphia

The ever-elusive Stikman visited the Maryland city during the first round of Open Walls Baltimore. In the following years, many of his pieces have disappeared. However, his figures still grace many sidewalks and walls adjacent to the mural project.

Artist's hometown: Asheville, N.C.

While living in Baltimore, Avoid dominated the city, leaving stickers, tags, and rollers that have lasted long after his departure. His moniker style tags and spray paints of tents are still adjacent to the tracks he once called home.