Brooklyn Graffiti and Street Art Tour

This area really is an instragramer's heaven. So many great photo spots! - "Brooklyn Graffiti and Street Art Tour" - Two Traveling Texans
by Anisa // 52 Comments

I have been getting more and more into art, especially modern art.  Whether it is in a museum, like the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth, or just on the street, I am inspired by the creativity and bright colors.  

I know there is a lot of amazing street art in New York City, but it’s hard to know where to find the best murals.  I was excited to take the Brooklyn Graffiti and Street Art Tour with Brooklyn Unplugged.  It would be a good opportunity to learn more about the Bushwick Collective and the stories behind the art.

In this post, I will share more about my experience on the tour so that you can decide if it is something that you would like to do.

Anisa posing by one of the colorful murals that is part of the Bushwick Collective. - "Brooklyn Graffiti and Street Art Tour" - Two Traveling Texans
Anisa posing by one of the colorful murals that is part of the Bushwick Collective.

Street Art vs. Graffiti

We started with a discussion about the difference between street art and graffiti.  Many people think the words are interchangeable, but that is not correct. 

Graffiti is just comprised of letters and names, called tags, while street art is more advanced.  Street art is done for the general public while graffiti is done for other graffiti artists.  Personally, I am not a fan of graffiti, I much prefer street art.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:  Philadelphia Mural Tour: Street Art That Changes Lives!

I just loved this mural, and it made me so upset to see the graffiti on it! - "Brooklyn Graffiti and Street Art Tour" - Two Traveling Texans
I just loved this mural, and it made me so upset to see the graffiti on it!

On the Bushwick Street Art tour, I hated seeing graffiti on top of the street art.  I think it is disrespectful and damages the hard work of the street artist.  It hit me hardest when we saw a beautiful portrait where someone had written over the mouth.  Unfortunately, there were other examples of graffiti on murals as well.

The style is very pop art but it has the edgy street vibe. - "Brooklyn Graffiti and Street Art Tour" - Two Traveling Texans
The style is very pop art but it has the edgy street vibe.

The Bushwick Collective

The tour centered around the Bushwick Collective Street Art (although we did see works that were not part of the Collective as well).  

Joseph Ficalora is the curator, he got permission from building owners and has chosen the artists.  He wanted the artwork to be therapeutic and beautify the community, so the art was not supposed to be political.  

The murals are replaced about every twelve months, so you will see layers on some murals.  No artists are paid for their contribution to the Bushwick Collective.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:  Picasso Museum Barcelona: Not What You Would Expect

I saw it from down the street and it just called to me. - "Brooklyn Graffiti and Street Art Tour" - Two Traveling Texans
I saw this one from down the street and it just called to me.

Highlights of the Brooklyn Graffiti and Street Art Tour

I saw a lot of street artwork that I liked during our Brooklyn Graffiti and Street Art Tour.  The creativity of street artists always impresses me.  I also love paintings with bold colors that are visually appealing.  Probably my favorite mural was one by Dasic Fernandez from Chile.  

Lexi Bella’s work also caught my eye.  I love the colors that she used and also how she painted eyes.  You can see the emotion.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:  Free Shoreditch Street Art Tour

We saw several murals by Lexi Bella. I love the way she paints eyes. - "Brooklyn Graffiti and Street Art Tour" - Two Traveling Texans
We saw several murals by Lexi Bella. I love the way she paints eyes.

If there is meaning in the art, that is a bonus to me.  While political pieces technically weren’t allowed as part of the Bushwick Collective, it seems like some exceptions were made to that rule.  

Another artist known as Pay to Pray was not allowed to participate in the Collective because his works were too political.  He did have some works in the area that we saw as part of the tour.

Street art is not just murals though.  We saw some other interesting 3-D pieces on our tour.  We saw sculptures and 3-D artwork made of wire and yarn.  I had never thought of this as street art, but as Jeff explained the classification of street art has a lot to do with the artist’s intention.  

The Bushwick graffiti that we saw made me question the artist’s intention, especially if it was on top of a mural.

Brooklyn Graffiti and Street Art Tour Logistics

This Brooklyn street art tour meets in front of ‘Wyckoff-Starr’ coffee shop located at 20 Wyckoff Avenue in Bushwick Brooklyn.  It is a short walk from the Jefferson L train station.  The tour runs daily at 3 pm and lasts about 2 hours.  You will be walking about a mile and the tour ends right by the Morgan Avenue L Train station.  

The Bushwick walking tour costs $32 per person or it is included as part of the several New York Tourist Passes.   Brooklyn Unplugged also has several other tours in Brooklyn and Queens.  Check out the expert tips below for a special discount code!

This was an interesting one. When you see it in person it hard to see all the details, but through the lens of a camera it is impressive! - "Brooklyn Graffiti and Street Art Tour" - Two Traveling Texans
This was an interesting one. When you see it in person it hard to see all the details, but through the lens of a camera it is impressive!

Jeff would be our tour guide for our Bushwick Graffiti and Street Art Tour.  He told us that he is not an artist but he is a Brooklyn native.  He knew his stuff but was very patient with others on the tour that didn’t know much about street art.  I loved hearing the inside scoop.  I learned a lot from him.

 

Is a Brooklyn Street Art Tour Worth it?

Yes.  While you can go walk around the neighborhood and see the murals on your own, you will get much more out of it if you take a tour.  The stories about the artists and the artwork enhanced my appreciation of the pieces.

Brooklyn Street Art Tour Review

In summary, I was impressed by the Brooklyn Graffiti and Street Art tour.  The quality and quantity of Bushwick murals that we saw was amazing, and I learned so much about the artists. 

Jeff was a wonderful guide.  He was very knowledgeable and made the tour interesting.  Check our video to see more of the street art in Brooklyn.  You will see some of the best murals in NYC.

Have you seen any of the murals that are part of the Bushwick Collective? What is your favorite piece of street art?  Have you ever gone on a graffiti or street art tour? I would love to hear about it in the comments.

-Anisa

Pin for Later

anisa in front of street art in brooklyn

Expert Tips for the Brooklyn Graffiti and Street Art Tour

  • Dress appropriately for the weather and wear comfortable shoes.  
  • Book online and use the code TravelingTexan to get 20% off your Brooklyn Street Art walking tour price.

Disclosure: We were guests of Brooklyn Unplugged for the Graffiti and Street Art Tour.  We will not receive any commission for future tour bookings.  As always, opinions are my own.

Last Updated on March 14, 2023

About the Author

Anisa is an experienced international traveler with extra pages in her passport and stamps from 41 different countries across 5 continents (and counting). She was born and raised in Texas. After a 13 year stint in NYC, she moved to England to live with her husband.

>