THE AMAZING BUSHWICK COLLECTIVE STREET ART TOUR, BROOKLYN

Last Updated on 24th September 2024 by Bejal

Street art fans will be in absolute awe in New York City with the well renowned Bushwick Collective located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. One of our favourite tours in the Big Apple is most certainly the Bushwick Collective Street Art walking tour which delves into the history of this organisation, it’s birth and where to see the talented artists and their incredible murals in the area. Read on to get a taste for what the tour entails and our tips.

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The Bushwick Street Art Tour

The tour is run by Free Tours By Foot, or you can book via Get Your Guide, both of which will give you a meeting point on booking and you pay what you think the tour is worth at the end. Essentially it’s a ‘name your own price’ tour, which encourages the local tour guides to deliver the experience to the best of their ability on each occasion.

The two hour walking guide with our local guide, Mar in Bushwick, which is located on the North side of Brooklyn on the Williamsburg border.

Mar is a former graffiti artist and now still partakes in supporting the art community by running galleries and organising events in the area. He explained that NYC is a bit of a mecca for graffiti and street art, attracting artists from around the world. Bushwick is a working class district and has been attracting many global artists. The area has a large collection of art studios and galleries but Bushwick’s industrial landscape is the main draw for these artists.

 Graffiti & Street Art

 Graffiti is essentially a message, it’s classed as a marking or a symbol on any surface. Marker pens were used for graffiti prior to 1947 after which spray paints were invented and then started to be used. In much earlier times such as the 1920s and 1930s stencils were used for graffiti, however now it is predominantly spray paints. It may surprise you to know that the neo expressionism art scene in this area spans over 100 blocks and you’d probably need a lot of time to capture it all in one trip! Pretty impressive right?

The birth of hip hop, gang and gun crimes in 1973 saw the rise of graffiti, which originated in the neighbourhood of the Bronx. Graffiti was illegal and so anyone seen painting the walls would be given a ticking off, but later jail sentences were implemented. There was another option to avoid jail and that was to join a group where you got mentored in the art of graffiti. It may not be a surprise that many rappers are involved in street art and often paint under different monikers.

The word on the block was very much…

Cash Paycheck I Call grandma I Paint that spot I Don’t get arrested

The objective of the tour is to give a background and history behind the artists, many are famous and obtain appreciation and a critical eye for these evolving forms of expression.

The Buchwick Collective

The globally renowned, Bushwick Collective street art was founded and started by a Bushwick local named Joseph Ficalora who was Brooklyn born and bred and now runs his family’s steel business. Joseph started the transformative Graffiti and Street Art Project to heal after the tragic murder of his father in 1991 and also the death of his mother from a brain tumour in 2011.

A year after Joseph’s mother died he threw a street party for children with brain tumours and invited street artists to create some art work on some of the walls around the area. He later went on to contact further artists from many countries, asking them to contribute their talents to the canvases that are the industrial and residential buildings of Bushwick.

There are a few rules: nothing offensive to children, women and local businesses. Street art is not permanent and mostly stays around for 12 months but there are works surviving for five years. 

Joseph is now learning to heal from his years of growing up in a dirty and crime ridden neighbourhood by transforming  the walls of Bushwick into a safe & hip outdoor gallery. He has learned to wrangle the permits needed to legally display hundreds of artist’s work.

Street art can be expressed in a number of ways as seen from the image gallery above and it aims to convey a message to its viewers. For example, stopping violence and encouraging love, racial diversity statements as all are equal, animal conservation and priority (as can be seen by the bee above).

How to Get to The Tour Location

Our advice is from Manhattan, head to the Jefferson Station in Brooklyn via the L line! It takes around half an hour or more depending where abouts you are in Brooklyn. Once you have been on the tour, which also introduces you to some of the vintage shops and local eateries, Roberta’s Pizza and Sea Wolf in the area, you can explore the art yourself but as I said before; remember there are 100 streets of art but you have plenty of time as this is an open air art gallery, it’s yours 24/7!

The Bushwick Collective Street Party

We were in Brooklyn during the first weekend of June 2019 which coincides with top street artists gathering to produce their pieces murals and wall scapes. These spray can masters work on their murals while musicians provide backdrop tunes. This is truly a sight and if you are in the NYC area, you must go during the party, and watch these artists at work. The detail, time and skill is phenomenal and mesmerising.

Joseph Ficalora, produced The Power of Art to transform a neighbourhood. He created the worlds biggest open air gallery and tourist destination and in my opinion it’s a must see if you’re a fan of street art. We defy you not to be blown away!

Bushwick Street Art Tour Tips

• The tour lasts around 1.5-2 hours and is a casual walk around Williamsburg, a route chosen by your guide.

• Ensure you have some comfortable walking shoes, like sneakers or pumps as there’s a lot of walking naturally.
• Take a water bottle, especially for warm days to prevent dehydration.
• The tour will take place no matter the weather so go prepared with an umbrella or rain mac.
• Prior to the tour when you meet the guide, there is an opportunity to grab a drink at a local cafe in the area as well as using the conveniences.
• If you enjoy the tour, you can show your appreciation by tipping the guide. We would recommend 15%-20% of the total tour price per person.
• If you need any local recommendations, feel free to ask the local guide, they will give you some great authentic spots.
• Please arrive on time, theres nothing worse than holding everyone up, missing the tour or even having to join it half way through and not getting the full picture. Be respectful to the guides and fellow tour guests.
• Do not touch any of the spray cans or start spraying the walls yourself. These belong to the artists and note you are in their space.

How to Book Your Bushwick Collect Street Art Tour

This is the Bushwick Collective Tour, can easily be booked via Get Your Guide by clicking below and selecting your desired date and time.

Other Tours in Brooklyn

Bushwick Collective Street Art Tour: Round Up

If you are looking for a great street art tour in New York, which has a wonderful story behind it, then there is no better than the Bushwick Collective. The tour is informative, well priced and shows you some areas of Williamsburg in Brooklyn that you may not venture too. Just don’t forget your camera so you can snap all the cool artworks. Our top tips for the tour are comfortable walking shows and water but do check the weather forecast beforehand and be prepared. Tours go ahead rain or shine!

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