Everything We Saw at the Paint Louis Graffiti Event in St. Louis

For the past 26 years, the St. Louis floodwall has been the place to be on Labor Day weekend for street artists from around the world — not to mention DJs, MCs and break-dancers. This year was no exception: The annual Paint Louis event brought an estimated 500-plus artists from around the world to 1000 South Wharf Street each day from September 1 to 3 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. And those artists brought their A-game.

Paint Louis co-founder John Harrington has explained, "Paint Louis started as an attempt to bring graffiti into the mainstream. It was always on trains, cars, underpasses, but it wasn't in a place where the public could get up close and appreciate it. This is an event that focuses on recognizing the contributions of graffiti artists and giving them the respect they deserve.”

By that metric, the event more than succeeded. Braden McMakin’s photos capture the remarkable scene.