Street Art: Tourists turned Artists

Monday, the students embarked on a journey of art and exploration. Our tour began near the Warshauerstraße train station in the neighborhood of Friedrichshain. Our tourguides from Alternative Berlin Tours educated us on the ins and outs of street art.

We learned the difference between a basic tag, graffiti, stencils, murals, paste ups and more! The guides gave us perspective on street art by sharing stories of the artists themselves, specific pieces, and history. The students listened intently and snapped away taking photos under the bright afternoon sun. As if the tour wasn't cool enough already, it was about to get even cooler! 

We boarded the S-Bahn at Warschauerstraße and made a few transfers before walking into a huge warehouse style building covered in art. The students gathered around tables and learned how to make stencils. Then they picked out prints or created their own and meticulusly cut out their stencils.

Once their stencils had been cut out, our guide (who we would quickly find out is also an artist) demonstrated techniques of how to use the stencils. By layering different colors of spray paint and using other objects as stencils the students learned to build a background and make their stencil pop! Our tour guide turned artist also turned DJ put on music as the students picked up the cans and started working! It was quite a scene. Students turned artists moving around in this huge space, working independtly yet collaboratively, asking the guides for their advice and input, encouraging eachother and complementing finished pieces. It was a long day, but we left with homemade Berlin souveniers and an appreciation for the street art that inspired us!