Artist Leebo in front of Rap is the Word DRA Tracks 1989.
Artist Leebo in front of Rap is the Word DRA Tracks 1989. Photo credit: Morn One TPG.

Hull’s vibrant street art and graffiti scene celebrated in summer exhibition

A new exhibition at Humber Street Gallery, Live Like Legends, will showcase four decades of Hull’s vibrant street art and graffiti scene this summer.

Spanning two floors, the show will explore the joys and complexities of this unique form of public expression, which has had a striking presence in Hull since the early 1980s.

Live Like Legends will run from 19 July – 22 September, at Humber Street Gallery on Hull’s Marina.

Live Like Legends will feature newly commissioned artworks from several generations of artists who have significantly shaped this cultural movement over the past forty years. The exhibition includes an immersive, multimedia installation of curated mementos, photography, and previously unseen archive footage. It explores the crossover between the street art scene and other aspects of street and youth culture, alongside society more broadly.

In addition to the exhibition at Humber Street Gallery, in collaboration with Ground Gallery, funding from Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants programme has been secured to deliver further work across Hull in August and September 2024.

A wide range of community engagement will include city-wide art workshops, demonstrations, artist talks and guided walks. Three additional exhibitions will also take place in alternative venues across the city:

• A residency and exhibition at Ground will delve into the region’s long history of street art and its role in social change.
• An open-call exhibition at Brew will provide opportunities for younger artists who have not previously exhibited their work.
• A third satellite exhibition will highlight the international connections that Hull’s Street artists have developed and ambitious projects they have initiated.

Find out more by visiting the Humber Street Gallery website.

A sign outside The Guildhall in Hull
A military vehicle parked in a pedestrianised street with personnel stood with it.