More than 100 artists armed with an array of aerosol spray cans and paints came to the Raritan River Art Walk Wall along Route 18 Saturday to create an outdoor gallery of murals at the Streets 2k9 event.

Sponsored by the non-profit artist collective Albus Cavus, all types of people came together to express themselves through murals and street art on the mile-long wall, said Peter Krsko, Albus Cavus co-founder.

“The idea is that [in this space,] people come and paint any time they want,” he said.
Collective artist Leon Rainbow is in charge of organizing events in New Jersey.

“It’s a great group. I’ve been with them since the beginning and I love it,” he said.

The artists who attended Streets 2k9 were there not only for a good time but also for the chance to win a few prizes, such as $150 in art supplies, Rainbow said. The artist collective hoped to get a wide assortment of people from professionals to first-timers.

Aja Washington, one of five winners in last year’s Streets 2k8 event, was among the many seasoned artists who returned to Streets 2k9.

Washington said the collective is doing a great job with their community outreach and is able to get many different types of artists together to express themselves and expand their techniques and knowledge, as well as just relax and have a good time.
School of Social Work graduate student Danica DiGiacomo has never done street art before but paints regularly.

“I have been hearing about Albus Cavus since last year’s Street 2k8, and I love that basically anyone can come and try it out,” she said.
Street art, more commonly known as graffiti, is not always understood or appreciated by people, Krsko said.

“There is a reason why people do it though — we need to express ourselves,” he said.

Elan Wonder, a well-known street artist who has been painting for more than 15 years, came to paint at Streets 2K9.

“Is [street art] always legal? No,” Wonder said. “But it’s undeniable, it’s an art form.”

Krsko agreed that when found on public buildings and bridges, street art is perceived to be damaging.

“The real issue is what subjects can and cannot be painted, and I think this is a problem that can be solved in a natural way,” he said.
Due to the fact that street art is illegal in many public places, people who choose to paint in those places must do so stealthily and quickly, making sure they are not visible to many other people, Krsko said.

This causes them to feel angry and discriminated against, which is reflected in their painting, he said.

“When people are permitted to paint freely, I think what we will see is an explosion of beautiful art,” Krsko said.

He said public places are just that — public and meant for the community to enjoy.

“If people want to sing in public, they sing. If people want to dance in public, they dance,” Krsko said. “I cannot sing or dance, but I can paint. I just want to make people smile.”

Krsko first approached New Brunswick about the project in 2006 and learned that the Raritan River Wall was owned by the New Brunswick Department of Transportation. After receiving all the proper permits, Albus Cavus was able to launch Streets 2k7 the next year with the strong support of both the city and the DOT, he said.

Albus Cavus, with the intention of developing strong communities of interactive art and free expression in public places, has spread throughout the country as well as into other countries such as Canada, Australia, China and the United Arab Emirates, Krsko said.

“It is interesting to visit cities like Dubai, which have been built out of nothing, and have enormous, beautiful buildings, but no sidewalks, no places to chill outside and enjoy the day,” he said.

Along with other members of Albus Cavus, Krsko learned about urban planning in these foreign countries and presented his own ideas on how to create stronger communities with more art.

The collective also received the opportunity to paint a wall in Beijing before the Summer Olympics and paint the largest mural in Washington, D.C., along with 45 other artists, he said. These events, as well as many others, are co-sponsored by grants from the government, different private and public corporations and generous private donors.

“There aren’t enough Rutgers students coming out,” he said. “Tell everyone you know to come; nobody has a bad time after they come here.”