Eleven Spring: A Celebration of Street Art

"Artists covered the interior walls with their latest, most ambitious efforts, transforming a casual auld-lang-syne get-together into a state-of-the-art statement that ranged from classic tagging to new adventures in papering, printing, varnishing, installation and, in one impressive instance, crayon. There were lines around the block."—Roberta Smith, The New York Times

In December of 2006, an unlikely group of nearly 100 street artists from all over the world came together to participate in an art show celebrating Eleven Spring Street, long a premiere destination on the international Street Art map. The New York Times wrote, "One of the best shows of the season flamed past just before Christmas: a weekend long display of graffiti created by artists from around the world at, and in honor of, 11 Spring Street." The methodology was mixed media to the max: Wheat paste, paper, spray paint, house paint, markers, metal objects, found objects…the result was chaotic yet undeniably arresting. Marc and Sara Schiller of the Wooster Collective curated the three-day event, calling the show Wooster on Spring. It featured street art superstars like Shepard Fairey and Swoon as well as emergent talents including JR, Prune, and Doze Green.

The result was a potent mix of artists who brought the street inside by re-claiming the walls for themselves, and a tipping point for what has become an international art world phenomenon. The three-day public viewing session was a landmark downtown event that drew crowds in the thousands, with people waiting up to five hours to get inside.

With an Introduction by Shepard Fairey, an Afterword by JR, and an essay from Randy Kennedy of The New York Times, Eleven Spring captures an important moment in Street Art’s history. All the works that were created for the show were subsequently covered up or destroyed by renovation. Eleven Spring allows these vibrant works to live again, ready for a new generation of admirers to enjoy and celebrate.

Shepard Fairey is an internationally renowned American contemporary street artist, graphic designer, activist, illustrator, humanitarian, and founder of OBEY Clothing and the OBEY Awareness Program. He lives in Los Angeles.

JR is a French artist and photographer whose large scale works are displayed on streets worldwide. He has collaborated with the New York City Ballet, and most recently transformed the exterior of the Louvre Museum with his work in the spring of 2016. In 2011, JR was the recipient of a TED Prize; a citizen of the world, he currently calls New York City home.

Marc and Sara Schiller are founders of The Wooster Collective, which showcases and celebrates ephemeral art placed on streets in cities around the world. In 2010 they authored Trespass: A History of Uncommissioned Urban Art, published by Taschen. As a global voice for street art the Schillers have spoken at the Tate Modern, Design Indaba and The New Museum. They live in downtown New York.

Randy Kennedy is a Metro reporter who joined The New York Times in 1994. He has covered Brooklyn, City Hall, Transportation, and housing issues, among other subjects. He has also written the Public Lives column and has contributed articles to the The New York Times Magazine. Kennedy lives in Brooklyn.

Caroline Rafferty is a third generation philanthropist who studied art history and architecture at the post-graduate level at New York University before opening her own boutique real estate development and construction company in 2006 in New York City. In 2014 Caroline moved to Palm Beach, Florida and founded Caroline Rafferty Interiors.