Graffiti, urban art, tagging, vandalism, call it what you like; it’s been a major mode of expression since people drew on cave walls, yet only recently has received recognition as an artistic medium.

On April 12, an art park featuring twelve “free walls” will open south of Eugene’s Shelton-McMurphy house.  Citizens’ Corner is an open space where anyone can paint, create murals, or mixed medium projects.

Local musician Nichalus Wooley conceived the project as a way to enrich Eugene’s hip hop community, but later expanded his vision.

Nichalus Wooley:  “Originally it was going to be a graffiti park, but…the term free wall, people who are familiar with it, a lot of people connect that with graffiti, I just kind of decided to branch out and make it something that was applicable to the entire community.”

Wooley hopes the park will help reduce the amount of graffiti in private spaces, which he says has increased in recent years. 

It’s a matter of context, not content.