Graff Tours - The Street Art Studio NYC — Attraction in New York

My little sister was visiting NYC for her 20th birthday from Chicago. She wanted to do something very NYC, but she wanted a unique and authentic experience. In her words, "Not something everyone else does." So, I booked a graffiti tour and a private graffiti lesson with Graff Tours which came highly recommended to me from friends in the urban art scene.

THE TOUR: First of all, the tour far exceeded my expectations. As a self-professed graffiti/street art lover, contemporary urban art collector and someone with many ties in the NYC contemporary urban art scene, I thought the tour would be more fun for my sister, but not much of a unique experience for me. I was so wrong! I learned many things on this tour and even saw some street art I wasn't even aware of. The really great thing about the tour is that the guides give you some graff history and how graff evolved from being seen as just vandalism to being accepted in popular culture to how street art has become a highly respected and coveted art form. They also taught us the difference between different forms of graffiti/street art from tags all the way up to pieces as well as the difference between illegal and legal pieces. The history and information was sprinkled throughout the tour as we made our way through Manhattan's Lower East Side and checked out tags, throw ups, pieces, murals and other street art (most of which I had never seen!!! and I spend a lot of time street art "hunting" in that area). The tour was informative, educational and lots of fun. Our guides, Kate and Gabe, were AWESOME! It was evident that they are both very passionate about graffiti/street art, incredibly knowledgeable about its history and very easy going and patient. They were very open to questions and answered every pesky thing we asked. My sister was amazed at how sometimes we didn't noticed art that was in plain sight! Overall, the tour was a totally worthwhile experience for novices, experts, tourists and NYers alike. Not to mention we had MANY awesomely Snapchat worthy and Instagrammable moments! :D You won't regret it!

THE LESSON: Armed with our new knowledge about graffiti, we signed up for a private graffiti lesson. This was a truly unforgettable experience. Both my sister and I cannot say enough good things about it!!! Brett--our graffit artist/instructor--was awesome! The lesson covered graffiti history and technique as well. Some of it Brett abbreviated once he learned that we had already done the tour which gave us more time to actually paint! I can't express enough how much fun it is to have the opportunity to actually create your own graffiti!! AND to do it legally! LOL Brett showed us by example and then let us try it on our own. The whole time he gave us tips as we tried to perfect our own tags. After we practiced how to use a spray can--who knew cap types and finger pressure made such a difference?!?!--we began to sketch out our "piece." Since we're both Chicago girls, we decided to do a letter-based piece with the word "CHITOWN" on it. Throughout the process, we learned how to outline, how to fill, how to create a drop shadow, how to do a fade as well as adding a background and finishing touches. Let me tell you, when we were done (compared to when we started) WE COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT WE CREATED!!! AMAZING!!! We were in shock and so excited! AND we got to keep our art piece! Definitely, the most amazing "touristy" thing I've ever done in my life. My sister was so happy and that made it all so worth it.

Thank you, Brett, Kate, Gabe and Graff Tours for such a fun, educational and truly unforgettable experience. If you're visiting NYC or you have family/friends coming to visit and don't know what to do, GO BOOK GRAFF TOURS NOW!!! You will not...

I was drawn to this workshop because of the glowing reviews. My 14-year-old son is an Art lover who loves graffiti, and he had been asking for months to come here. We made the drive from D.C. to Brooklyn just for this experience, hoping it would be memorable. Instead, we left feeling humiliated and ignored.

I paid for the option for both of us to receive personal canvases and arrived 15 minutes early, as instructed. A white family of four (including two teenage boys) arrived shortly after us. When “Leaf” opened the door at 3:00 p.m., he asked me for my name and then turned away to greet the white family—giving them instructions, chatting, and stepping outside with them. My son and I were left standing there confused, having received no direction. Trying not to jump to conclusions, we followed them upstairs into the studio.

Once upstairs, Leaf immediately pulled out two large canvases for the white boys and gave them further instruction. He did not acknowledge us again until 20 minutes later, when he casually asked what spray paint colors we wanted and told us to start painting on the wall. I tried to stay positive—for my son’s sake—but it was already clear we were being treated differently.

When I asked about our canvases (which I had paid for), Leaf told me, “You didn’t pay for that.” I pulled out my paper receipt to show him otherwise. He checked his phone and said, “Oh, I didn’t want to throw you to the big dogs without practice first.” Meanwhile, the white family was already working on their full-sized canvases with his help. We had been given no instruction, no acknowledgment, no care.

Finally, 40 minutes into the session, Leaf handed us tiny 4x6 canvases. This was supposed to be the individual canvas I paid for? The booking options only list two choices: paint on the wall or paint on a personal canvas. We paid for the same thing the other family received—so why was ours miniature?

My son kept painting, trying to make the most of it, but Leaf never offered any guidance or encouragement. He continued to help the other family while we were left to figure things out ourselves.

at the end, he signed the white boys’ canvases with his tag, and on the back of my son’s small canvas, he wrote: “Stay out of trouble, killa.” Why would you write that to a 14-year-old African American child? You didn’t write anything like that on the white boys’ work. What made you look at my son and associate him with trouble?

My son has never been in trouble, never done a drug, and comes from a loving, structured home. He simply loves graffiti art and was excited to learn more. That comment broke something in him. I tried so hard to shield him from how Leaf treated us throughout the workshop, but the message on the back of that canvas said it all. He wanted to know why was he being singled out and referred to as a killer?

This experience was traumatizing. I am reporting this business and writing this review to warn other families—especially families of color—that you may not be treated equally here. It is unacceptable for a white man profiting off a historically criminalized art form to stereotype a Black child for taking interest in that very art.

Do better. Or stop pretending your workshop...

I got my graff on, and I'm all the better for it. If you find yourself itching to throw some paint on a wall, and test your artistic grit, check out Graff Tours in Bushwick. I saw the experience on the Fever app, and have been letting creative juices flow from late last year into the new year, so I got my ticket after reading all the reviews raving about the experience. I think it's also special to learn the craft of the art in the OG home of graffiti (The Bronx and Brooklyn share equal fame, right?). It was a mini-adventure to find the Graff Tours spot, so it's best to arrive 10-15 minutes early to make yourself at home. Our instructor, Isabelle (@isabelle_ewing_), got there on time to welcome the three groups into the studio on the second floor. The stairs up are quite narrow and steep – just a heads up for those who might care! The studio has ample space to throw my coat and belongings on a chair, as well as walking space so I don't bump into other folks. Each group (mix of natives, tourists, transplants) naturally picked a side and stayed there for the remainder of the experience. Isabelle gave us a short intro to the graffiti paint, the different styles we would try it, and we jumped into the world of graffiti! The instruction was simple and straightforward – we could play around with bubble letters, rectangular letters, and give the famous Wild Style a go. We were asked to choose a tag, be it your name, slogan, or a phrase. I went with a nickname a recent work colleague bestowed on me, and away Isabelle went with giving me the outline to then fill in myself. Quickly one realizes how strenuous spraying graffiti with the same wrist can be! Here I just switched to my non-dominant hand and continued on my merry way. I lost myself in the intensity of the experience at many points! This was a playground for my inner child. Isabelle checked in often, and I also asked her questions about her graffiti art and life. She was patient with me as a I workshopped a tag and for that, I am grateful. I do wish the experience was 30 minutes longer. I miraculously managed to keep my entire outfit paint free, and there are gloves available, though I opted for a free manicure. We were given a small take-home canvas to spray our final designs on, but I preferred playing around with the large murals we made on the walls and found it more difficult to replicate the design on the canvas, with it being much smaller (at this point, speed would be your best friend since you'll probably be opting for much finer and thinner lines to fit within the canvas frame). I decided to leave the canvas there, and take home photos and memories instead. I think it'd be cool to take another class, maybe leveling up for those who've gone to the intro class? That way we could continue designing a tag, and finding our own styles, symbols, and motifs. Just an idea! I'd sign up. There's something so invigorating and zen about graffiti painting. Also – a huge shout-out to the Graff Tours customer service. I appreciate you working with me to iron...