A small pixel mural appears in the Liberal Arts stairwell. A drawing titled “Exposed Nerve” is created on the side of a locker in the tunnels between Gleason and Gosnell. A student scrawls a short poem and a few words of advice on the wall of a bathroom stall. Each is an example of the graffiti displayed around RIT — a common sight for students travelling to and from classes.

Artists

“I have done graffiti both at home and here in college,” stated graffiti artist BLUR. “I started with some friends while skateboarding in upstate New York… When I moved out to Rochester, I continued and made new graff [graffiti] friends to paint with as well.”

Another artist — who goes by the monikers “blsh” and “mira” — is responsible for many of the pixel murals around campus, as well as several tags and stickers.

“It’s art, and it’s rebellion,” they explained. “There’s a lot of history and tradition to graffiti.”

Many people see graffiti as a form of free speech. There is a rich history to be found within it. This is especially true at RIT, from the posting of motivational quotes and messages of political activism, to the classic “Bees” and “MAKE MOVES SON,” to art that ranges from little doodles to incredibly detailed pieces. Graffiti is another outlet for self-expression, albeit one that can sometimes come under fire from the administration.

RIT Administration

As Aaron Tomassini, the Director of Student Engagement and Community Life, explained, “If the Center for Student Conduct receives a report of a student defacing property, it would be reviewed and addressed through our process.”

“We have to take every situation case by case,” added Anthony Yazback, the Director of Public Safety Operations and Investigations. “But if you damage property and it’s legitimate graffiti, then it would be illegal and against policy.”

Gary Moxley, the Executive Director of RIT Public Safety, agreed with Yazbeck’s summary. Both Moxley and Yazbeck emphasized the presence of more legitimate outlets with which to express oneself as a student, such as wall murals. They also stated that they would be happy to help any uncertain students find these outlets.

However, Todd Jokl, the Dean of the College of Art and Design, had a different perspective. He expressed an overall positive attitude toward graffiti, describing it as a vital form of free speech and a good way for students to express themselves. When asked about political graffiti, he stated, “It is defiant. It is essential.”

He finished by adding, “I do stress that people engaging [with] graffiti be mindful and informed about what they are communicating… State your ideas, but consider how your work impacts others.”

Student Opinions

When 183 students were surveyed on graffiti at RIT, at least 19 out of every 20 said it was a form of art. Over two-thirds said graffiti should be permitted at RIT.

“Graffiti is a significant artistic statement – resistance art, creativity in defiance of established law or structure, a demonstration of humanity,” expressed Bella Sentes, a first year Civil Engineering Technology student.

Many students felt that graffiti actually improved the RIT atmosphere. Second year Electrical Engineering student, August Kollar, stated, “I love the graffiti on campus. It’s a way of pushing back against the monotony of the brutalist brick architecture. Whenever I see graffiti here, I see it as a little bit of creative expression breathing in a hostile, sterile environment that often feels like it’s designed to crush us.”

However, some students had reservations about the practice.

“As much as graffiti is beautiful, it brings the risk of anyone just drawing something obscene on a wall and calling it graffiti,” said first year Electrical Engineering student Dante Bender. Although Bender described graffiti as a way to make the world “feel more alive,” he expressed concerns that not all graffiti would be appropriate at RIT.

Another student who chose to remain anonymous agreed with Bender. “I think there could be a lot of bad messages or other things written if graffiti is allowed, such as vulgar language or slurs. This could look bad for people touring the campus.”

A large number of students expressed that they felt graffiti was an important part of free speech and political activism on campus, and thus should be dealt with more leniently. 

“The idea of graffiti being taboo or illegal is part of what makes it attractive to those who like it… It’s a kind of resistance that I think most people can appreciate in some capacity,” explained Evan Owens, a fourth year Furniture Design student.

“Graffiti is often political, a form of protest, and/or a way for people to disobey authority safely/anonymously,” added second year Animation student Kyren Hartman.

Many students stated they wished there were more designated spaces on campus where graffiti could be posted freely and without consequence or frequent erasure. They expressed that seeing graffiti often made them feel less alone and more connected to the community.

Preservation

Innovation and Engagement Archivist Landyn Hatch and Professor James Rankine have been working to implement Hatch’s idea for graffiti preservation into Rankine’s Computation and Culture class. This will be the project’s second semester, incorporating feedback from students to improve it as it develops. Students are sent out to take pictures of graffiti and add it to a spreadsheet to help keep track of this rich portion of RIT’s history.

Rankine explained, “…in some respects it feels inevitable that there will be erasures, and that’s why preservation is important.”

This documentation will potentially allow future students to view graffiti that may have been erased years before their time at RIT.

However, graffiti at RIT will certainly not be going away anytime soon. Doodles, poems and other creations continue to appear daily, just as quickly as they are erased. As one anonymous RIT graffiti artist expressed, “No matter how hard you try, you cannot stop people from writing on walls.”