Wedding photos. Car photos. Breakdancing. Graffiti painting. For many years, the enclave of boarded-up buildings was home to the endless weekend encore of New Haven graffiti writing. Started back long ago, as early as the late 1990's, the Water Street "Hi Cru" wall was home to many a vandal alike, and artist the same, until recently when a fire ripped it apart.It struck by surprise and was leveled to the ground just four days later. Many of the local graffiti community gathered to spill out beer in lament for the loss of the wall.
Collectors peeled laminate chunks of paint from walls that were in shambles on the ground; often in stratas of latex paint which were thick by the dozens of layers. The Local Scene was on site to provide media support to the moment, documenting the last moments of this institution's existence.
Keep in mind, this was the same group also responsible for the Under91 Project mural, sanctioned and supported by the community on CT DOT State property. You might also recollect years ago when David Pond, projectionist for The Stepkids (find his name mentioned in their wikipedia page) was on site to deejay a classic typical Saturday graffiti jam.
Graffiti Jam With Mobile Sound System from Local Music Scene on Vimeo.
@NewHavenFire-Box 406-WF-175 Water St-1-Story Wood-Heavy Fire-Partial Collapse-Crews Mopping Up. pic.twitter.com/PV2YavETdP— Doc Johnson (@DJohnsonSig99) February 2, 2016
Says Jenny, of New Haven: "there are lots of reasons i love new haven, and walking by this wall on my way home from the train station was one of them."
