Thanks to the generous support of VyStar Credit Union, an estimated $2-million piece of art by acclaimed British street artist Banksy – whose identity remains a mystery – will be on exhibit in Jacksonville from February 14-April 14, 2018. The Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville has partnered with the Jacksonville Public Library to exhibit the artwork in the Main Library, located at 303 N Laura Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202.
The artwork was created by Banksy in 2010 on the side of a San Francisco bed and breakfast. The 2017 film focused on the piece and Brian Greif, a passionate art collector and street art curator. Greif worked diligently to conserve the piece, preventing it from being appropriated for commercial gain or vandalized by other street artists.
Greif paid to have the artwork removed from the San Francisco building and then professionally conserved. It was his intention to donate the piece to a contemporary art museum, which proved more difficult than anticipated due to not being able to authenticate the piece as a result of Banksy’s anonymous identity. The work, which measures 7’-by-7 ½’, was created using red and black spray paint on 107-year-old redwood cedar.
Part of the stipulation for being an exhibiting city is that the rat has to be accessible to the public at no cost. This made the Jacksonville Public Library the perfect host, whose building reads “OPEN TO ALL.”
In celebration of the piece, the Jax Makerspace Gallery will also host an exhibit—Writing on the Walls—that features work by local street artists. The Jax Makerspace Gallery acknowledges the role street artists play in developing the visual landscape of our city. This exhibit, it seeks to immerse audiences in the world of street art while exploring the topics and challenges prevalent in the fringe culture of street art. The library is collaborating with the Cultural Council as well as numerous other community partners to provide educational programming and recommended reading lists relevant to the topic of street art.
The Haight Street Rat will be available for viewing at the opening reception of the Jax Makerspace Gallery’s exhibit Writing on the Walls starting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14 and during all open hours of the Main Library until April 14.
The Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Public Library are collaborating on educational programming and a recommended reading list that are relevant to the topic of street art. The piece’s exhibition dates also coincide with Public Art Week, A Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville and Art in Public Places initiative that is slated for April 2-7, 2018.
As part of the Vystar International Artist Lecture Series, the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville has arranged for a screening of the documentary Saving Banksy at Space 42, an independent creative space and gallery located at 2670 Phyllis Street, Jacksonville, FL 32205 on Thursday, February 15, 2018 at 6:00 PM. Immediately following the film will be a lecture and Q&A led by Greif.