SAC Presents ‘Beyond The Streets On Paper’

Southampton Arts Center takes it to the streets with “Beyond the Streets on Paper,” a new exhibition featuring more than 500 works by some 75 artists from around the globe. The show opens Saturday, July 17, from noon to 5 p.m., with a free barbecue on the SAC’s west lawn, courtesy of Beyond Meat.

Both a historical homage to the earliest mark makers and rule breakers and a celebration of an essential practice seen throughout contemporary art, “Beyond the Streets on Paper” is curated by Evan Pricco and Kim Stephens and it explores experimental processes to imaginative works seen on paper from artists who trained in, and were inspired by, graffiti, street art, hip-hop, punk rock, zines and underground art.

“It’s not very often you get to see so many world-renowned artists in one setting,” said SAC’s executive director, Tom Dunn. “Shepard Fairey, Steve ESPO Powers, Martha Cooper, and many other exciting artists, some of which have never shown works on paper, will be part of this exhibition.”

One of the defining traits of the underground art movements presented in this exhibit are its historical roots in creating a space of inclusion and acceptance. As the contemporary art world excelled in gatekeeper curation, the art coming from these outsider cultures was immersed in shattering the status quo’s definition of what art was and will be. “Beyond the Streets on Paper” champions the legacy of that historical challenge to authority, presenting a contemporary dialogue of individual expression through a powerful and self-governing community.

In the past, in two massive shows in Los Angeles and Brooklyn, “Beyond the Streets” has helped create an entirely new historical lexicon for which to look at contemporary art. In organizers’ conversations with artists and friends over the last 16 months, a sentiment they continued to hear was both the desire to, and obligation, to create more intimate and immediate artwork. The idea of going back to the drawing board spawned this exhibition dedicated to paper.

This exhibition is the first in an ongoing collaboration between “Beyond The Streets” and SAC in the coming years. On Sunday, July 18, at 7:30 p.m., exhibition artist and photographer Martha Cooper will join a panel with filmmaker Charlie Ahern, moderated by curator Roger Gastman. Following the panel, SAC will screen the film “Martha: A Picture Story” with Maysles Documentary Center. Tickets are available at southamptonartscenter.org/film.

Southampton Arts Center is at 25 Jobs Lane, Southampton. The galleries are open Thursday through Monday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free and “Beyond the Streets on Paper” runs through August 29. Learn more at southamptonartscenter.org.