In Philadelphia, a fresh movement is emerging within the street art scene, and surprisingly, it’s taking place indoors.
Last May marked the debut of Step Outside: Art from the Underbelly, a two-day event showcasing the work of over 75 street and graffiti artists. This initiative has birthed a larger project aimed at promoting Philadelphia’s outdoor creatives in gallery settings.
Street artist Doomed Future, a key organizer of the project, expressed that the “Step Outside” label has become integral to a new art collective flourishing in the city, which plans a series of upcoming shows.
“It’s artists for artists,” he stated. “Everyone in Step Outside is an artist — everyone is a part of it. We know what the people want. It’s like a football coach that played football. We’re not just curators. We are in the scene.”
While it might seem unusual for street and graffiti artists to transition to gallery spaces, Doomed Future emphasized that these exhibitions are merely extensions of the artists’ ongoing work.
“The city of Philly is painting over everybody’s [artwork] in like less than 24 hours,” he noted. “So to have a little temporary installation, it means a lot to everybody.”
Currently, the collective is showcasing its second exhibition, titled The Family Room, located at a second-hand furniture store named Jinxed in South Philly. This event is not just a fleeting two-day affair; it will remain open through October.
The Family Room features a more intimate setting than the previous show. Twelve street art and graffiti artists from Philadelphia are displaying their works at the entrance, with pieces available for purchase.
The area is designed to resemble a living room, complete with a fireplace that displays a video of crackling flames and a vintage couch taking center stage. Framed photographs of the Step Outside artists adorn the walls, creating a familial atmosphere.
Continuing the interactive spirit from their inaugural event, attendees are encouraged to engage with the exhibition. A temporary wall has been erected for visitors to draw on, paste stickers, or express their creativity in any way they choose. Outside, another wall serves as a canvas for graffiti artists to tag freely.
At the gallery’s opening last Saturday, the traditional notions of vandalism were subverted, as artists marked various elements in the show with their tags. Children enthusiastically picked up crayons to decorate the makeshift wall, turning the room into an active art installation. Refreshments from mobile bartender Mix it Up were available for purchase, complementing the vibrant atmosphere. Guests were even able to buy stickers and T-shirts on their way out.
Doomed Future highlighted that this interactive element is intended to be a hallmark of all Step Outside shows.
“You can come to our show, tag walls, hit things up legally, not worrying about getting arrested or anything like that,” stated Red Hound Heavy Hammer, another organizer for Step Outside. “We want to provide for the community and build that community.”
An intriguing piece in the corner of the room is an interactive dog sculpture, where visitors can attach their own dog tags. The robot dog, fitted with glowing green eyes, invites everyone to engage with it creatively.
“‘Adopt me and tag me’ is the title of the piece,” explained RoboQ4, a team member who contributed to the exhibition’s development. “There’s a chain attached to the dog, and people can write their little tags and chain it to the dog. So, whoever buys the dog gets all the tags with it.”
The Family Room features contributions from some of Philadelphia’s most recognized street artists.
Artist Sean 9 Lugo collaborated with Doomed Future to create a series of Spiderman-themed pieces, in which the beloved superhero is depicted with Lugo’s unique teddy bear for a head. One artwork portrays Spiderman swinging alongside a version of Venom, complete with Doomed Future’s signature symbol.
“It’s a blessing anytime you get to show any type of work,” Lugo remarked. “It is a blessing, not only as a street artist, but as an artist — period — whether it’s a gallery or Jinxed or whatever.”
The exhibition also highlights emerging talents.
“My art is very political,” shared Alacran, an illustrator and musician from Colombia who has been involved in Philadelphia’s art scene for several years. “I come from a country that is beautiful but also has a long history of violence, so I’m used to seeing a lot of art and graffiti in the streets. Painting walls is an act of protest; the street is our memory. When I got here to the States, I saw myself being part of a marginalized community, which is the immigrant community.”
Alacran has three paintings in the show, each with a powerful political message. In one piece, a cat leaps over a wall, symbolizing the defiance of borders. Another depicts President Trump as a cockroach being squashed by a boot wearing an ATD ankle bracelet. Her artist name translates to scorpion in Spanish.
“I think my art is a fight. It’s a struggle,” she expressed. “So, I just want to communicate how angry I feel about all the injustice in the world and the persecution of immigrants in this country, including myself.”
Looking ahead, the Step Outside team is already planning their next show, which will be hosted at a new site. According to Doomed Future, there’s an aspiration for a permanent location.
“We would have our Step Outside shows that welcome everybody, but then we would also like to work with individuals,” he revealed. The collective is open to collaborating with anyone wishing to curate a show centered on street art and graffiti. “We’re working on different venues, but eventually in a couple of years, we’d like to get our own place.”
The collective aims to create a welcoming environment for all street or graffiti artists in Philadelphia.
“There’s a lot of animosity between graffiti and street artists, so we’re trying to break that taboo,” Doomed Future remarked. “We do get along. People think that we don’t, but we do … A lot of us are just doing the same thing in a different medium.”
Echoing this sentiment, Lugo added, “I’m just excited for the Step Outside team. It’s a bunch of like-minded people trying to help and represent other artists. In this world of creating, a lot of times people look at it as competition, and there’s not enough places to eat. It becomes very competitive. But for a bunch of artists to get together and give other artists opportunities, it’s a beautiful thing to see.
image source from：billypenn
