A text message sent from an anonymous person was projected on a red brick wall at the Nelson Fine Arts Center plaza on the Tempe campus.
“I don’t mean to cry or whine / but somebody in the crowd stole my shine / I’m the top chef with the verbal ingredients / Chillin’ with the crew at Civil Disobedience,” the message said.
It was one of the first rhymes to be projected on the wall during the Civil Disobedience Park Jam on Friday night.
The event, sponsored by the Herberger Institute for Design and the Art’s School of Dance and School of Music, featured an array of hip-hop dancers, professional dance crews, DJs, MCs and graffiti artists, teaching and showcasing their work.
“Design is my inspiration,” graffiti artist Adam Closer said. “Just art in general and making beautiful things. People are now more open-minded to graffiti. It’s becoming something that can be considered good.”
Attendees tried their hand at graffiti art on giant white canvases as the artists gave tips to perfect an art form practiced nearly everywhere in the world. Those who wanted to attempt graffiti art without the mess used a laser pointer connected to a computer to have their art projected onto a virtual canvas.
“It was really interesting, especially the graffiti,” journalism freshman Mariana Choong said. “The artwork is beautiful. It’s something you always want to try, but you never can. It was freeing.”
Organizers said Park Jam’s goal was to offer students a safe place for hip-hop culture to flourish.
“(We wanted) to provide a safe place for hip-hop culture to happen. It’s one of the main points of contact between the Arizona hip-hop community and the Herberger (Institute),” said Richard Mook, a Park Jam organizer and Herberger assistant professor.
In addition to spreading alternative art forms, Mook said the Institute has established an educational research mission to examine interactions between music and dance.
A goal of the Institute’s is to educate the public on dance and the hip-hop culture as well, Mook said.
There were multiple performances from local dance crews, including Neo Phon'etix, an 18-and-under local crew, and Automatic Response, a Phoenix-based crew featured on MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew.”
The night ended with an MC battle; the winner was chosen based on creativity, originality and stage presence.
There was a strict “no profanity” rule as many attendees were children of all ages interested in the hip-hop scene.
There will be three Civil Disobedience events throughout the year.
Reach the reporter at jasmine.barta@asu.edu
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