A boomer here. I don’t know the thought process behind this but I don’t see a problem with an urban art project provided they have some kind of program built around this particular piece.

BTW, I consider “urban art” as art and “graffiti” as vandalism - two different things.

When it comes to graffiti, it’s not really the medium that’s a problem, it’s the chosen canvas (though I have seen some truly magnificent “art” on the sides of some freight cars - shame, that). But this is a commissioned piece. A legit canvas. No problem.

Something like this wouldn’t work in our area. What little graffiti we get out here in the boonies is usually juvenile scrawls of genitals, profanity or names that may or may not be spelled correctly. You can look at it and imagine hearing the giggles with the hissing of the spray can. Absolutely nothing artistic about it. I’d hate to imagine what kind of “rural art” we’d wind up with doing a project like this.

I have a few thoughts:
1.) The B&O Museum deserves respect for doing something outside the normal course of railroad museum practices. Even if this doesn't turn out to be a big trend for the future, good for them for trying something new.

2.) Interfacing with your community is very important, so good for them!

3.) I have to say, I would approach an urban art project with great caution. A museum full of old white guys doing an urban art project could seem tone-deaf, belittling, pandering, condescending, or just clueless. I would make 300% sure to get a lot of community and expert guidance and feedback on it. I'm guessing the B&O Museum did.

4.) As regards actual graffiti, unsightly as it is, it is a real part of modern railroading. If we want to be accurate railroad historians, rather than just 1:1 scale model railroaders, we're going to have to accept that graffiti is part of the "historically accurate appearance."

It would be most interesting to see railroads (and tourist railroads) embrace this idea. Instead of having vandals graffiti cars in unsafe conditions, perhaps railroads could compensate the artists and provide the spray paint, scaffolding, safety PPE, etc. Food for thought. What say our woke millennials in this crowd...Josh, Xboxtravis, etc?

I said I wasn't gonna comment.

But if I did, know full well that I lived in Baltimore and the surrounding area for years--at one point for a couple years within walking distance of both the Museum and the site of its current restoration facility.

The title of a certain best-selling Al Gore book comes to mind.

That part is easy. They are graphic signatures, just like how I sign a check. You could read my signature when I was in grade school, but it's a flowing ink drawing now. Think - a picture is worth a thousand words.

Brian

I disagree; I do think there is a need to clarify the difference between the commissioned art and graffiti given this thread's subject line.

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At National Capital Trolley Museum we receive annual operating support from the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County. In annual comments to our grant application, the Council is challenging our Museum to be more engaging with the community around us. While I would not offer up on of our streetcars for a project like this one at B&O, I do support their effort to be relevant in a creative way.

Wesley

Are you once again trying to insinuate that some of our members here are racist?

It may not take much for YOUR mind to wonder, the rest of the commenters here seem to only be interested in the issue of graffiti. Perhaps over time you will learn to understand that unlike what CRT teaches, not everything that happens on this planet revolves around race.

When I was involved at Carrie Furnaces National Historic Landmark in Pittsburgh, they developed an urban arts program to attempt to work with the local artists who were breaking into the site. We changed our approach from one of confrontation to cooperation and earmarked walls and structures in the site that could be legally used to create their art, with the understanding that the core historic structures were not to be touched. Not only did that work, it worked so well that it is now a major part of the site's programming. Shane Milster used to be one of the kids who would break in to the site and he now runs the program.

I personally do not care for the graffiti that is done illegally on objects that obviously are still being used and cared for by people, but it is different if it is sanctioned and if it is a truly abandoned structure. It is not going to magically stop some day, our culture has degraded too far for that, but perhaps we can convince them that it can be tolerated as long as its not done on structures currently being used and cared for.

I don't have the answers, which is why we discuss things here. But we can do it in a civilized manner without making insinuations and veiled accusations about racism. Take that nonsense elsewhere on the Internet.

Shortly after making my above comment, this shows up on Facebook. Graffiti vandals hit the operating equipment at the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway.

Doing stuff like this is what gives graffiti a bad reputation and it is not racist in the least to hate it because of the damage that has been caused to the equipment. BTW for Connie, given the demographics in Nelsonville, I would bet this was done by white kids. These cars now have to be repainted.

Maybe the car builders should cast about for 'Urban Artists' to apply the original coat of paints to cars as they are being produced. Each car a genuine work of art.