“§145.05 of the State Penal Law states that a person is guilty of criminal mischief in the third degree when with the intent to damage property of another person, and having no right to do so, he or she damages property of another person in an amount exceeding $250” (nyc.gov). This is just one of the multiple laws in place to prevent vandalism. While graffiti is technically considered a crime, many people use it as a form of self expression and representation. As neighborhoods change, people need their voices to be heard and graffiti is a way to embody the lived experience of people in the community. This archive is centered around graffiti and the impact it has on New York City culture. It mostly consists of photos of graffiti, including stickers, tags, throw ups, and pieces. There are also a few related miscellaneous objects and some interviews that I have conducted with writers. This is a community archive because it is built around the people that create it and cannot be institutionalized. There is a debate going on about institutionalized graffiti and what is considered art versus vandalism. Many writers I have spoken to do not consider themselves to be artists and point out how legal street art and companies capitalizing off of graffiti do not support the writers in the community while taking inspiration from their work. For example, the Supreme store in the Bowery allows writers to tag the store to profit off of the aesthetic of graffiti, which inherently opposes its rebellious nature. Many muralists are seen as established “artists” while graffiti writers are seen as “vandals.” This double standard possibly stems from classism and ethnic discrimination because graffiti culture was largely influenced by marginalized communities. Since the mid 1980s, the NYPD and MTA security have been cracking down in an effort to stop vandalism. They spend taxpayer money to cover graffiti and catch writers, however, many argue that they should be putting these efforts into something more constructive. Even though the laws and punishments have been increasingly becoming stricter, graffiti is still very much alive because the people have something to say. Some people argue that graffiti is destructive and aesthetically unpleasant, but in a world full of advertisements from big corporations, it seems unfair that the people have no say in what their neighborhood looks like without running into the disproportionate effects of capitalism. Graffiti is something that brings people together across different races, genders, classes, ages, etcetera, but ultimately, it comes from a need to be free. There are many different reasons why people do graffiti. It can be for self expression, to spread a political message, to raise awareness for a cause, to earn respect in the community, or simply just to have your name on a wall. Overall, this archive portrays its impact on New York City and the culture that is built around rebellion to authority.