Graffiti

407 photos · 2008–2026

407 photographs tagged Graffiti, 2008–2026.

“I Can’t Breathe” graffiti on an embankment beside Interstate 35W in South Minneapolis under smoke-filled skies.
“I Can’t Breathe” is spray-painted on a dirt embankment beside Interstate 35W in South Minneapolis on May 30, 2020. The message appeared in the days after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police on May 25, during protests and unrest across the city. Morning light falls on nearby houses while smoke lingers over the neighborhood from fires set overnight.

I Can’t Breathe Graffiti, Minneapolis

Hagen’s Auto Body on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis with boarded windows and a “WE ARE OPEN” banner.
Hagen’s Auto Body on Nicollet Avenue in South Minneapolis is pictured with its windows and doors boarded on May 30, 2020. The collision repair shop remained lit overnight, with a red “WE ARE OPEN” banner hanging on the brick facade and a message painted on the plywood reading, “WE HAVE BEEN PART OF THIS COMMUNITY FOR 50 YEARS AND WE CARE ABOUT IT.” The photograph was made during the fourth day of protests in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd.

Hagen’s Auto Body, Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, 2020

Damaged Walgreens on Lake Street in Minneapolis with smoke and boarded windows at night.
A Walgreens pharmacy and food mart on Lake Street in Minneapolis stands damaged and smoking in the early hours of May 30, 2020. Plywood covers the entrance, windows are broken, and graffiti is visible on the exterior of the one-story commercial building. The store was photographed during the unrest that followed the police killing of George Floyd, when numerous businesses along the Lake Street corridor were damaged or burned.

Walgreens Fire, Lake Street Minneapolis

Wells Fargo bank burning on Nicollet Avenue in South Minneapolis on May 29, 2020.
A Wells Fargo branch on Nicollet Avenue in South Minneapolis burns on the night of May 29, 2020. The bank, across from the Minneapolis Police Department’s Fifth Precinct, was damaged during unrest that followed the killing of George Floyd. Flames are visible through the front windows as fire spreads across the ground-floor banking area.

Wells Fargo Bank Fire, Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis

Boarded storefronts in downtown Minneapolis marked with BLM and Black Owned graffiti.
Boarded storefronts in downtown Minneapolis are marked with the spray-painted messages “BLM” and “BLACK OWNED” on May 29, 2020. The plywood covers were installed to protect retail businesses during unrest following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police earlier that week.

Boarded Businesses, Downtown Minneapolis

Traffic backed up on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis beneath a sign reading “CURFEW IN EFFECT 8PM TO 6AM.”
Traffic is backed up on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, near the 1st Avenue South exit, as an overhead highway message board reads, “CURFEW IN EFFECT 8PM TO 6AM.” The photograph was made on May 29, 2020, during protests following the killing of George Floyd, when state and local officials imposed overnight movement restrictions across Minneapolis and other Twin Cities communities.

I-94 Traffic Jam During Minneapolis Curfew

Boarded storefront with Justice for Floyd sign on Lake Street in Minneapolis.
A boarded storefront on Lake Street in Minneapolis bears the message “Justice for Floyd” in the early hours of May 29, 2020. The sign appeared during protests and unrest following the killing of George Floyd, when many businesses in the corridor covered windows with plywood for protection.

Justice for Floyd Graffiti, Minneapolis

Boarded Wells Fargo on Lake Street in Minneapolis with protest graffiti and broken windows.
A Wells Fargo branch on Lake Street in Minneapolis stands boarded and spray-painted during the unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. Graffiti on the facade includes the messages “STEAL IT BACK!” and “KILL Bankers,” while broken glass and plywood cover parts of the entrance and windows.

Wells Fargo Bank, Lake Street, Minneapolis

Graffiti on Minneapolis Midtown Station wall reading anti-government messages during George Floyd protests.
Graffiti on the exterior of Minneapolis Midtown Station in Minneapolis includes the messages “THE PEOPLE shouldn’t be afraid of the gov. The gov should be afraid of THE PEOPLE!!!” and “RISE UP.” Photographed on May 28, 2020, the writing appeared during the unrest and protests that followed the murder of George Floyd.

Graffiti at Minneapolis Midtown Station

Minneapolis police watch a burning building on Lake Street in Minneapolis during protests.
Minneapolis police officers stand on Lake Street in Minneapolis as a commercial building burns during overnight unrest on May 28, 2020. The fire occurred during the protests and property destruction that followed the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.

Building Fire on Lake Street, Minneapolis

Burning AutoZone on Minnehaha Avenue in Minneapolis with graffiti during May 2020 unrest.
The AutoZone store at 2700 Minnehaha Avenue in Minneapolis burns in the early hours of May 28, 2020, across from the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct. Flames have consumed much of the one-story commercial building, leaving the roofline partially collapsed as graffiti covers the exterior wall. The fire occurred during the first nights of unrest after the murder of George Floyd.

Burning Autozone with Graffiti, Minneapolis

Burning Wendy's on 26th Avenue South in Minneapolis during George Floyd protest unrest.
A Wendy’s restaurant on 26th Avenue South in Minneapolis burns in the early hours of May 28, 2020, during unrest following the killing of George Floyd. Flames are visible through the windows and across the roofline, while graffiti including “Justice 4 George” is painted on the building’s exterior. The fire occurred during several nights of destruction and protest in Minneapolis after Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020.

Wendy’s Fire, 26th Ave S, Minneapolis

A protester waked under Haiwatha Ave where “FLOYD” is written on the wall. This on the 2nd day of protests in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd.
A protester waked under Haiwatha Ave where “FLOYD” is written on the wall. This on the 2nd day of protests in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd.

Protester walks past ‘FLOYD’ graffiti, Lake St, Minneapolis protests

Minneapolis police on the 3rd Precinct roof in south Minneapolis during protests.
Minneapolis Police officers stand on the roof of the department’s 3rd Precinct station in south Minneapolis on May 27, 2020. Several officers are equipped with helmets, shields, and less-lethal launchers as the building became a flashpoint during protests that followed the killing of George Floyd two days earlier.

Minneapolis Police 3rd Precinct Rooftop

Protester spray-paints anti-police graffiti on a boarded Target sign in Minneapolis.
A protester spray-paints anti-police graffiti on a boarded Target sign in Minneapolis, Minnesota, near the Minneapolis Police 3rd Precinct on May 27, 2020. The messages on the panel include “COPS R SLAVE CATCHERS” and “Fuck 12,” written during unrest that followed the killing of George Floyd.

Graffiti on Target Sign, Minneapolis

Wendy’s on fire with graffiti on the side
The Wendy's restaurant located on Minnehaha Avenue in Minneapolis was engulfed in flames on May 28, 2020. This occurred on the second day of widespread protests that erupted following the death of George Floyd while in police custody. The building's brick exterior is covered with graffiti, including messages expressing anti-police and anti-capitalist sentiments. The destruction of commercial properties, such as this fast-food establishment, became a visible manifestation of the intense civil unrest and community frustration during the Minneapolis Uprising.

Minnehaha Ave Wendy’s on Fire, Minneapolis Uprising

Wendy’s with ACAB wtritten on the side
A Wendy’s restaurant on 27th Avenue South in Minneapolis stands across from the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct on May 27, 2020. Graffiti including “ACAB” and references to George Floyd covers the restaurant exterior.

Wendy’s and Minneapolis Police, Minneapolis Protests

FLOYD graffiti under the Hiawatha Avenue overpass near Lake Street in Minneapolis as a pedestrian walks past.
Graffiti reading “FLOYD” covers the tiled wall beneath the Hiawatha Avenue overpass near Lake Street in Minneapolis as a pedestrian walks past on the night of May 27, 2020. Additional messages including “RIP GF” and other anti-police graffiti surround the large tag. The markings appeared in the area during the protests and unrest that followed the killing of George Floyd.

Floyd Graffiti at Lake Street Overpass, Minneapolis

Graffiti reading "FUCK JACOB FREY" on a vacant storefront window in Minneapolis.
Graffiti reading “FUCK JACOB FREY” is painted on the window of a vacant retail storefront in Minneapolis on May 27, 2020. A Wellington Management “For Lease” sign remains posted inside the glass-fronted space, while additional white paint marks cover much of the facade. The image was made during the second night of protests after the killing of George Floyd, in the area near the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct.

Graffiti on Vacant Storefront, Minneapolis

Graffiti on a Target sign in Minneapolis as protesters gather below.
A Target shopping center sign in Minneapolis is marked with graffiti reading “Justice for George” and “Abolish Police” on May 27, 2020. The sign also lists Cub Foods and Dollar Tree, while a crowd gathers at street level near the commercial center. This location was across from the Minneapolis Police Third Precinct, which became a major gathering point in the protests following the killing of George Floyd.

Minneapolis Uprising Graffiti at Target Store

Protester with gallons of milk at the 3rd Precinct
A protester carries jugs of milk outside the Minneapolis Police 3rd Precinct in Minneapolis during the widespread protests that followed the killing of George Floyd. This image was taken on May 26, 2020, the day after Floyd's death. The 3rd Precinct building, a central facility for the Minneapolis Police Department, exhibits damage including broken windows and graffiti, reflecting its role as a focal point of the civil unrest. Milk was commonly used by protesters to alleviate the effects of tear gas and chemical irritants deployed by law enforcement during the demonstrations.

Minneapolis 3rd Precinct Protester with Milk, George Floyd

Cops Murder Abolish Police
Graffiti reading “RIP GEORGE FLOYD!!!” and a banner stating “COPS MURDER! ABOLISH POLICE!” are displayed along Lake Street in South Minneapolis on May 26, 2020. The messages appeared the day after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police, as protest signs, memorials, and other written statements spread across the area.

RIP George Floyd Graffiti, Lake Street Minneapolis

Empty platform at Target Field Station, a Minneapolis METRO light rail stop in the North Loop neighborhood.
Target Field Station sits in the North Loop neighborhood of downtown Minneapolis, serving as a stop on the METRO Blue and Green light rail lines. The station connects riders to Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, and links the North Loop to downtown Minneapolis and the broader METRO system.

“Stay Home MN” Sign Above Target Field Station at Dusk

Blue ATM recessed in a narrow doorway at 211 Decatur Street in New Orleans' French Quarter.
211 Decatur Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter contains a freestanding ATM recessed in a narrow doorway. The machine is covered with graffiti and stickers. Decatur Street is a commercial corridor in the historic French Quarter.

Graffiti-Covered ATM in a Decatur Street Doorway

Brett Favre helmet mural in Kiln, Mississippi displays painted NFL team helmets honoring the quarterback's career.
Kiln, Mississippi, is the hometown of Brett Favre, the Hall of Fame quarterback who grew up here before starring at Hancock High School. This roadside mural marks that connection, pairing helmets from the four NFL teams Favre played for — the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and New York Jets — with the phrase "Where the Legend Began." Favre spent the bulk of his career with the Packers, where he won a Super Bowl following the 1996 season and set numerous passing records before later stints in Minnesota and with the Jets. The small unincorporated community, part of Hancock County near the Mississippi Gulf Coast, has leaned into its association with Favre as a point of local identity.

“Where the Legend Began” Mural in Kiln, Mississippi

Large-scale red and white graffiti mural covers the facade of an abandoned Naval Support Activity warehouse in New Orleans.
Naval Support Activity New Orleans warehouse, New Orleans. The former military logistics building on the Mississippi River front has been covered with large-scale graffiti murals and tags. The base was decommissioned and has been awaiting redevelopment.

Large-Scale Graffiti Murals on the Naval Support Activity Warehouse

Commuters walk the vaulted platform at State/Lake CTA station in downtown Chicago.
This vaulted platform serves State/Lake station, a CTA Loop stop connecting the Green, Orange, Brown, and Pink lines in downtown Chicago. The station's barrel-arched ceiling and rows of concrete columns date to an earlier era of Chicago's elevated and subway transit construction, distinguishing it from more modern CTA stops. Located near Randolph and State Streets, the station provides access to the Loop's theater and retail district.

Waiting for a Train at State/Lake Station, Chicago

Archer Daniels Midland Delmar Elevator No 7
The long abandoned massive concrete Archer-Daniels-Midland Delmar Elevator No. 7 in Minneapolis. Known locally as the "United Crushers" mill after the large tag visible from miles away.

Archer Daniels-Midland Delmar Elevator No 7

Abandoned railroad bridge on Nicollet Island crosses the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.
The abandoned railroad bridge on Nicollet Island in Minneapolis crosses the Mississippi River on a former freight spur. Built to connect industrial facilities near the river, it now stands as a remnant of the city’s rail and milling era.

Abandoned Railroad Bridge on Nicollet Island, Minneapolis

Tate & Lyle sugar refinery in Silvertown, London, with trucks and industrial buildings.
Tate & Lyle’s sugar refinery in Silvertown, east London, operates on the Royal Docks waterfront. The complex processes sugar and is associated with Lyle’s Golden Syrup, a product long linked to the site and its branding.

Tate & Lyle Sugar Refinery, Silvertown, London

Caveman building in New Orleans with large-scale graffiti text on facade behind wooden construction barrier at night.
READ UP CAVEMAN building in New Orleans. The graffiti on the former Holiday Inn was removed in 2022 when the building was renovated to housing.

“Read Up Caveman” Graffiti on a Former Holiday Inn at Night

Northern Pacific BNSF Rail Bridge crosses the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.
Northern Pacific BNSF Rail Bridge spans the Mississippi River in Minneapolis between downtown and Northeast Minneapolis. Originally built in 1884 for the Northern Pacific Railway, it provided rail access to yards north of downtown. The bridge has been altered and repaired over time and remains part of BNSF Railway operations in the city.

Northern Pacific BNSF Rail Bridge, Minneapolis

A yellow colonial-era hotel with blue trim stands on a pedestrian street in Mexico City's historic center surrounded by foot traffic and street vendors.
A hotel on Calle República de Uruguay in Mexico City's historic center anchors a busy pedestrian block near the city’s colonial-era core. The ground floor includes street-level storefronts and the surrounding block is used heavily by pedestrians and vendors.

Street Vendors Beneath a Hotel on Calle República de Uruguay

Industrial building with CSL Plasma signage covered in black graffiti in Minneapolis.
CSL Plasma, a blood plasma collection center, operates in Minneapolis. The building's exterior wall bears extensive graffiti, which accumulated over time in this industrial area. The facility collects plasma from donors for use in medical treatments and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

CSL Plasma building with graffiti, Minneapolis

Excavator demolishes snowy building on Marquette Avenue in downtown Minneapolis, revealing police officer mural on adjacent wall.
Demolition work on Marquette Avenue in downtown Minneapolis clears a low-rise commercial building for the City Club Apartments redevelopment in February 2018.

Police Officer Mural Revealed in Snowy Marquette Avenue Demolition

A graffiti-covered freight train travels on tracks in St. Paul, Minnesota, highlighting the city's vital rail transport for commerce and industry.
A long freight train, adorned with graffiti, travels along tracks in St. Paul, Minnesota. The train cars, a mix of covered hoppers and tank cars, are part of the extensive rail network that has historically served as a vital artery for commerce and industry in the Twin Cities region. Rail transport remains a significant component of the local and national economy, facilitating the movement of goods and materials.

Summer Freight Train with Graffiti in St. Paul

Abandoned ADM grain elevator complex in Dinkytown, Minneapolis, with "UNITED CRUSHERS" branding on silos.
The abandoned ADM grain elevator complex in Dinkytown, Minneapolis, stands as a relic of the city's industrial past. Originally part of the Pillsbury Company's operations, these concrete silos were constructed to store and process grain.

Abandoned ADM Grain Elevator, Dinkytown, Minneapolis

The ADM Grain Elevator and Harris Machinery buildings in Minneapolis's Prospect Park show fire damage and ice accumulation. The ADM silos are marked "CRUSHERS".
The ADM Grain Elevator and Harris Machinery buildings in Prospect Park, Minneapolis, show extensive ice and snow accumulation following a significant fire. The fire gutted the interior of the Harris Machinery structure, leaving its exterior heavily damaged and encased in ice.

ADM Grain Elevator and Harris Machinery Fire Damage, Prospect Park, Minneapolis

The ADM Grain Elevator in Dinkytown, Minneapolis, is marked with United Crushers graffiti. Grain elevators were vital to the Midwest's agricultural economy and industrial past.
The ADM Grain Elevator in Minneapolis's Dinkytown neighborhood is marked with graffiti by the United Crushers art collective. Grain elevators were essential to the agricultural economy of the Midwest, serving as vital storage and distribution points for harvested crops. This structure, like many others, represents a significant piece of the region's industrial past.

ADM Grain Elevator with United Crushers Graffiti, Dinkytown Minneapolis

The ADM Grain Elevator complex, also known as United Crushers, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a large industrial facility for grain storage and processing.
The ADM United Crushers grain elevator complex in Minneapolis. The "United Crushers" tag at this point has become a historical tag in Minneapolis.

ADM United Crushers Grain Elevator, Minneapolis

The ADM Grain Elevator in Minneapolis, a concrete structure from mid-20th century industrial architecture, stands amidst overgrown vegetation and graffiti-adorned outbuildings.
The ADM Grain Elevator in Minneapolis. Constructed to facilitate the storage and handling of grain, such facilities were crucial for the region's economy, supporting farming communities and the food industry.

ADM Grain Elevator, Minneapolis

Abandoned grain elevators in Minneapolis, Minnesota, are covered in graffiti. A Triple Crown trailer is parked nearby, indicating ongoing activity at the derelict industrial site.
Abandoned grain elevators in Minneapolis.

Abandoned Grain Elevators and Graffiti, Minneapolis

Dinkytown graffiti in Minneapolis reads, “The banks got bailed out, the people got sold out.”
Dinkytown in Minneapolis is the site of graffiti reading, “The banks got bailed out, the people got sold out.” The wall sits near the University of Minnesota in a neighborhood known for student-oriented businesses and street art.

Dinkytown Banks Got Bailed Out Graffiti, Minneapolis

United Crushers grain elevator stands beside the University of Minnesota Transitway in the Dinkytown area of Minneapolis.
The University of Minnesota Transitway runs along the East Bank corridor in Minneapolis, carrying university and Metro Transit buses between the Twin Cities campuses.

United Crushers Elevator Along the Transitway, Minneapolis

HOTTEA yarn installation on a chain-link fence in Minneapolis.
HOTTEA yarn installation in Minneapolis. The temporary site-specific work uses stretched yarn on a chain-link fence near downtown, where the artist regularly creates ephemeral public art in unexpected places.

HOTTEA yarn installation, Minneapolis

Art Happens Here stencil art on a St. Paul, Minnesota sidewalk.
Art Happens Here stencil art in St. Paul, Minnesota, is painted on a sidewalk. The design combines block lettering with a skyline silhouette inside the text.

Art Happens Here Stencil on St. Paul Sidewalk

Abandoned Fruen Mill grain elevator complex with concrete towers and silos in Minneapolis.
Fruen Mill sits along Bassett Creek near Van White Memorial Boulevard in Minneapolis, on land tied to one of the city's earliest water-powered milling operations, dating back to the 1870s. The concrete grain elevator and adjoining steel-and-brick structures were built to store and process grain for regional distribution, part of the industrial corridor that once lined the creek west of downtown. The mill ceased operations decades ago, and the property has since sat vacant, drawing graffiti artists and urban explorers to its empty floors and silos. Bassett Creek itself was rerouted underground through much of Minneapolis in the 20th century as part of flood-control efforts, leaving this stretch as one of the few visible remnants of the waterway's industrial past.

Fruen Mill Grain Elevator, Minneapolis

Built in Minneapolis

Minneapolis Photographer

Browse by location, move through long-running series, or start with recent work.