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In Retrospect: Urbanites United

Updated: Jan 13


A month ago, on September 13th and 14th, the very first edition of Urbanites United took place: the open-to-all street art weekend that transformed Amsterdam into one giant canvas for two days. Together with artists, residents, visitors, and partners, we transformed the city into a living museum, just as we at SAMA envision.


The city as a stage

Throughout Amsterdam, murals, live art sessions, open studios, and neighborhood activities were available to visit. Thanks to the digital street art map, featuring locations across seven boroughs, people ventured out to discover art beyond their own neighborhoods. The map was viewed thousands of times in a single weekend: a wonderful sign that curiosity and adventure are still very much alive in our city.


SAMA founder and director Anna Stolyarova put it succinctly during the opening:


"For me, Amsterdam is the street art capital of the world. We have a unique mix of artists, museums, and places where art literally lives on the streets."



Artists of past and present

Urbanites United brought together big names from the scene and emerging talent. Visitors could see work by artists including The London Police, Paul Watty, and Hugo Kaagman, as well as emerging artists and collectives from Amsterdam and beyond.


Highlights included:


Paint & Beer: where art and community meet

During Paint & Beer, the street art community's size and connectivity became clearly visible. Music blared from the speakers, beers were cold, and everyone was laughing, chatting, and painting. Artists worked side by side on new murals and live paintings. The variety of styles, colors, and techniques made the area an explosion of creativity.


One of the highlights was the work of Brave_arts, who created an impressive mural of a tiger outside. Towards evening, everyone gathered to eat and share drinks. A brass band set the tone, people danced, and artists visited each other's works to exchange compliments.


Amidst all the cheerfulness, there was also room for reflection. lukedaduke 's artwork reflected the current world situation: a reminder that street art isn't just about beauty, but also about what's happening in our time. It was a unique blend of celebration, connection, and awareness, precisely what makes street art so powerful.



Street art tour

On Sunday, the Street Art Museum Amsterdam (SAMA) organized a special street art tour through the city. The group consisted of a mix of young and old, all curious about the stories behind street art. During the three-hour walk, we demonstrated the diversity of street art, from stickers and paste-ups to larger murals.


The tour began at Nicolaas Groente en Fruit, where work by artists including Lastpak, Nilsrva, and Wisekid is displayed in the windows of surrounding buildings. We then stopped at Café Belgique, a well-known meeting place for street art and graffiti artists, which also features artwork by the London Police.


Afterward, we visited a piece by Street Art Frankey, located at a police station. Next, we went to see Wisekid, who created a life-sized artwork outside his tattoo shop. His modern interpretations of still lives clearly demonstrate the breadth of street art; it lives not only on walls but also in unexpected places throughout the city. At the tunnel near Hannekes Boom, we clearly saw the difference between street art and graffiti, and from there we took the ferry to the NDSM wharf. This place remains a highlight for enthusiasts: styles, techniques, and generations converge here, and during the Urbanites United weekend, there was plenty of live painting. One of Pipsqueak Was Here's oldest works can still be admired there.


What was particularly striking during the tour was how visitors began to see the city differently. Once they learned about the stories and backgrounds of the art, their understanding and appreciation for street art and graffiti grew.



Creating the city together

What made the weekend special was not just the art, but especially the collaboration. All five Amsterdam street art museums: SAMA, STREET, MOCO, Art of Banksy, and the Banksy Museum Amsterdam collaborated to showcase the city as one giant work of art. There were also free open studios, including those at the Ambassade Art Gallery, Art Kitchen Gallery, and BeterBlijLeven.


Touria Meliani, councillor for Arts & Culture, remarked movingly:

“In Amsterdam, street art is part of our cultural DNA: it honors our history, amplifies the voices of today, and the value of all art forms in the city.”


Sandra Doevendans from the Nieuw-West district also emphasized the importance for the neighborhood:

“ Street Art Museum Amsterdam is rooted in Nieuw-West, but with Urbanites United it brings the power of street art to all parts of the city. ”


Closing barbecue

And so we concluded the weekend in a pleasant way: on Sunday evening, we gathered in the Dichtersbuurt neighborhood in Amsterdam Nieuw-West for a closing barbecue. The rain didn't dampen the spirits. Local residents, artists, and visitors gathered, while Laurien Saraber from the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts (AFK) stopped by to discuss the role of art in the neighborhood.


Laurien visited various locations during the Urbanites United weekend. She started at the Hollandsche Manege, where Paul Watty created a new mural with local residents. She then went to Cinema De Vlugt for a street art film, and then to the Dichtersbuurt, where live painting was still taking place.



It was a wonderful opportunity to bring art, community, and neighborhood life together. And, of course, to raise a glass to what we've accomplished as a team.


On to the next edition

The first edition of Urbanites United has left us wanting more. The reactions from visitors, artists, and partners were heartwarming, and the energy of the weekend still resonates.


Those who missed it can still explore it themselves: The interactive map with all street art locations can be found via streetartmapamsterdam.nl.

 
 
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