Street Art: Art in Public Space
Visual art has appeared in public spaces for thousands of years, from murals and monuments to paintings on civic and religious buildings. During the late twentieth century, however, artists in densely populated cities developed new forms of unsanctioned and community-based visual expression that operated outside traditional galleries. In New York City during the 1970s and 1980s, graffiti writers and other artists used subway cars, brick walls, temporary construction barriers, and unused advertising panels as surfaces. These practices helped shape what came to be called Street Art: a broad and debated category for visual work created in, inspired by, or closely connected to public space.
- hierarchy:
- A system where people, ideas, or things are ranked in order of status or importance.
- convergence:
- The coming together or merging of two or more distinct things into a single whole.
- manifesto:
- A written public statement outlining the intentions, beliefs, or policies of an organization or movement.
- stencil:
- A sheet of material with a cutout design through which ink or paint is applied to create an image.
- derelict:
- In a very poor condition as a result of disuse, neglect, or abandonment.
- ephemeral:
- Lasting for only a very brief or short period of time.
- commercialization:
- The process of managing or exploiting something primarily for financial profit.
One passage, many ways to practice
Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts — all built from this text.
Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Context Clues
Use clues in the passage to work out what words mean. A separate printable Vocabulary worksheet is also available.
Summarize
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
Purpose
Analyze what the author aims to do and how choices serve audience and purpose.
Structure
Analyze how sections and organizational choices build the text's ideas or effects.
Fact & Opinion
Distinguish verifiable statements from judgments, beliefs, and preferences in context.
Vocabulary
Practice words from the passage with a printable worksheet.
Writing Prompts
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
Fix the Sentence
Practice editing sentences drawn from this passage with a printable worksheet.
Ready to use this passage in class?
Start free with the Mixed worksheet and 3 PDF downloads each week. Focused skill sets depend on plan.
Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1How does the opening distinguish older public art traditions from the late-twentieth-century practices associated with Street Art?
- 2According to the passage, in what ways did Street Art develop from both modern graffiti and heritage muralism?
Where this passage belongs
You Might Also Like
About this explanatory article passage for Middle School
“Street Art: Art in Public Space” is a explanatory article reading passage about Street Art, written for Middle School. It takes about 5 minutes to read (677 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.