A group of young men in Frankford are using street art and graffiti in an innovative way to engage their community. They've created Store, a pop-up independent art space at 4433 Frankford Avenue, the property directly across from Flying Kite's On the Ground space in St. Mark's Church. Fifty "writers" (graffiti artists) have already laid a mark on the interior walls, tables and surfaces in the small storefront building. Part of Store's goal is to direct the work of graffiti writers to designated spaces, cutting down on blight while still fostering their artform.

Because of the controversial stigma attached to renegade street art, the gentlemen requested that their full names be withheld. Emer who grew up in Bucks County is the sensei of the young writers who come to the space. "We started doing a class," he explains. "I’m trying to steer the kids away from the wrong people by being their role model. There’s no influence on these kids to be their own person. We don't want to mix art with negativity." They accomplish that through an independent art school where students can learn shading, definition and text forms.

Emer learned business and development as an active member of his father’s development, landscaping and plowing businesses in the Bucks County suburbs and Wildwood area. "I have a pretty solid business plan to help kids in a non-traditional way," he explains. "We are going to have a large selection of spray paint, Colorfast range. We will sell it inexpensively, with white, black and chrome at a higher price point." Sales from the paint will benefit programming for Store, helping the team work with budding graffiti artists who want to learn.

The business plan also offers a solution to urban blight and buildings ravaged by graffiti. Emer wants to enlist a crew of volunteers to go around and paint walls grey, white, brown and tan. "Those are the colors of the buildings in Philadelphia," he explains. "So that way, if it gets hit up, we can repaint within the colors of the designs. Using that paint scheme, if the building is a target [of unauthorized graffiti], the whole building could be repainted by graffiti artists who volunteer their time to make it easier to hide the graffiti when it happens."

The goal is to keep graffiti contained to specific spaces. "We need about 50 buildings," he continues. "I would like to create a printed small map of buildings that have been vandalized by graffiti artists and a website that follows up with it and links it to Google maps. You can pinpoint the specific destinations, and a snapshot of each one will bring up pictures of the buildings.  It would basically say to a writer, ‘I want to wake up today, and I want to use 20 cans of spray paint. These are the places I can go.’ They have a place to go instead of breaking in a new spot."

"Don’t get me wrong. People are still going to write on stuff. People are out for rep," says Emer with a shake of his head. "We would bring our own crew to take care of these buildings. How much is the city paying for graffiti upkeep? Blighted properties would be open season. If it’s not being torn down and is a hazard on the city’s part, that property is going to get written on until the end of days, until the city deals with it."

The Store team has ambitious plans, including an expansion of their apprenticeship programs. "In the new management system, we’ll be able to split the operations," he says. "We have to have a staff in front. I can’t mix helping the kids here with wholesaling spray paint. I think this space is too retail, but we could do it with a commercial space in this same neighborhood with upwards of 10,000 square feet."

That would certainly provide a lot more wall space. 

Store is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 4433 Frankford Avenue. 

BONNIE MACALLISTER is a multi-media artist, grant writer and journalist residing in West Philly. Her work has appeared in Tom Tom Magazine, Toronto Quarterly, Nth Position (U.K.) and Grasp (Czech Republic). Send feedback here.