Fingerprint Gallery was thrilled to present "Graffiti Hurts! : a group art exhibition."

The show was born from a poster made by an anonymous elementary school artist. Their work proclaimed "Graffiti Hurts!!!!" - and was itself plastered onto an electrical box among others, ironically becoming the very thing it protested, and looking pretty badass doing it!

"Graffiti Hurts" was a commentary on every company and person who's benefited or profited from stealing graffiti … calling the work destructive and hurtful when it's inconvenient, and "public art" the second someone wants to use it without paying for it.

So, in a fitting twist, we borrowed this poster ourselves - repurposing an anonymous kid's anti-graffiti poster as the flyer for a graffiti show about this exact kind of appropriation… justified the way it always is: it was public, so it was "fair game."

The difference is intent. This show exists to support the incredible artists and celebrate the local West Coast graffiti community.

The reality is graffiti CAN hurt - that's part of its nature. But graffiti, and many of the artists behind it, are pioneers of visual language that echoes across the entire art world, builders of communities without borders, keepers of their own rules of etiquette and respect, and creators of masterful works that shape our daily lives.

"Graffiti Hurts" featured original works from: Virus, Samo, Jnasty, Are, Daver, Crums, Phere, Sigil, Dyse, Ibis, Keep 6, Oaph, Toetag, Trackside Report, Poncho, Cameo

The show opened Friday, June 19th, 6pm–9pm, then ran daily 11am–5pm from June 20th–28th 2026.