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“We aim to share our passion for this radical art movement with the public, showcasing some of the biggest names and upcoming talent from all over the world,” reads the “About Us” on the website for STRAAT — “a graffiti and street art museum for everyone, made possible by a dedicated team of enthusiasts.”

Not long ago, Signs of the Times Content Studio Manager Jeff Russ and his family vacationed in Amsterdam. Ever the sign enthusiast and the most avid documenter of signs I know, Jeff took the following photos to share on Signs’ Facebook page and here.

Photos by Jeff Russ; captions by Mark Kissling

Straat is huge — over 26,000 sq.ft., housed in a former warehouse on a wharf, “both a national monument and the biggest outdoor playground for graffiti and street art in Amsterdam,” according to the museum’s website.

The museum features more than 150 incredible artworks by 130-plus artists.

“The artworks were created on-site and most of these mind-blowing visual experiences are as big as outdoor walls,” per Straat’s site.

“From Keith Haring to Banksy, street art has made tons of headlines in recent history,” according to the museum’s “About Us” page. One look here and you can see why!

This design looks like something straight out of HBO’s Westworld.

A close-up of the previous piece shows the deliberate unevenness to the brushstrokes.

“The museum officially opened its doors in October 2020 after some years of development and challenges including the lockdown measures,” according to amsterdamtips.com.

The area is perfect for a museum such as Straat. “The NDSM shipyards already rates as a street art gallery: everywhere you look walls, cranes and containers are dripping with fresh paint applied by playful members of Amsterdam’s long-vibrant graffiti scene,” per iamsterdam.com.

Don’t understand Dutch, even though it’s the closest language there is to English? No problem. The signs describing the artworks are bilingual. For that, we issue a grateful dank u to the museum planners.

Because you’re sure to be inspired, before you leave Straat, make sure to pick up some spray paint in the gift shop. Yep, they have it there for sale.

11 Scenes from STRAAT: The Museum for Street Art and Graffiti

11 Scenes from STRAAT: The Museum for Street Art and Graffiti

“We aim to share our passion for this radical art movement with the public, showcasing some of the biggest names and upcoming talent from all over the world,” reads the “About Us” on the website for STRAAT — “a graffiti and street art museum for everyone, made possible by a dedicated team of enthusiasts.”

Not long ago, Signs of the Times Content Studio Manager Jeff Russ and his family vacationed in Amsterdam. Ever the sign enthusiast and the most avid documenter of signs I know, Jeff took the following photos to share on Signs’ Facebook page and here.

Photos by Jeff Russ; captions by Mark Kissling