The Hip Hop Congress at UCLA hosted a live graffiti art demonstration in Bruin Plaza Tuesday afternoon as a part of Hip Hop Appreciation Month.
Three graffiti artists from the Inland Empire created original graffiti artworks inspired by live music.
This event was an opportunity for UCLA students to see and enjoy graffiti as an art form, said Matt Moretti, co-director of the organization.
Moretti said the event was held specifically to show students how long it takes to create graffiti art and the process behind its creation.
The artworks were created using spray paint on large wooden boards that were approximately three feet by three feet.
The boards will be on display in the art gallery in Kerckhoff Hall until the end of the week, Moretti said.
In addition to the graffiti artwork, album covers that are associated with hip-hop culture are displayed in the gallery, including Al Green’s “Greatest Hits,” Diana Ross and the Supremes’ “Greatest Hits” and Common’s “Finding Forever.”
The display is a celebration of culture and is intended to allow students to reflect on the history of hip-hop.
“Graffiti art is another way of expressing yourself,” said Yudif Alieva, a fourth-year microbiology student, while viewing the artwork in the Kerckhoff art gallery.
“Art is any way of expressing oneself. Graffiti artists use this form of expression and it is absolutely a valid art form.”
Throughout February, the Hip Hop Congress has hosted numerous events in honor of Hip Hop Appreciation Month.
Hip Hop Congress is a nonprofit international organization whose mission is to promote hip-hop culture by inspiring social action and cultural creativity in the community, according to Hip-Hop Association’s Web site. Starting at USC and also in the Bay Area, the Hip Hop Congress has now spread to 30 chapters nationwide.
“Hip Hop Appreciation Month is a way to get people involved and exposed to the elements of hip-hop, and graffiti is one of those elements,” Moretti said.
Based on the theme of “Resurrection,” this year’s Hip Hop Appreciation Month is focusing on events that illustrate how the history of hip-hop inspires new trends and music, according to the Cultural Affairs Commission Web site.
The Cultural Affairs Commission oversaw all the events for Hip Hop Appreciation Month, especially in the areas of liability and budget, said George Chacon, the cultural affairs vice commissioner.
“Cultural Affairs Commission is here to diversify the campus by supporting culturally enriching programs, and this year has been a great success with Hip Hop Appreciation Month. Most organizations focus on one event per quarter, and we’ve done the impossible by holding about ten events that reach out to everyone,” Chacon said.
The grand finale of Hip Hop Appreciation Month was a free concert by The Game, a two-time Grammy-nominated rapper, held Tuesday night in Ackerman Grand Ballroom.
“By having many events that focus on a variety of subjects ranging from fashion to technology, we were able to appeal to students from more than one demographic. On top of this, by booking an artist as popular as The Game with fans of music from all genres, we expect to draw many students who may have never attended our events,” Moretti said.