November 27, 2019

“Urban Architecture” At Princeton Day School

“CITYSCAPE”: Leon Rainbow, whose work is shown here, has brought a group of premier graffiti artists together to showcase their work in “Urban Architecture,” on view at Princeton Day School’s Anne Reid ‘72 Art Gallery December 2 through January 9. An opening reception is December 12 from 5-7 p.m.

Making the dean’s list multiple times at Mercer County Community College while studying with retired professor and renowned painter Mel Leipzig, California native Leon Rainbow has always been hungry to learn. A firm believer in education, he has taught at Princeton’s Young Achievers, TerraCycle, and at countless workshops from New York to Washington, D.C., to Florida. Rainbow says, “I encourage my students to make the most of their educational experiences. The more education and skills you possess, the more valuable you will be.”

While Rainbow has created designs for clients from Louis Vuitton to Infiniti and Blackberry, his heart and soul reside with a community of premier graffiti artists with whom he has had a 20-year collaboration. “Aerosol is a process that takes years to learn,” Rainbow explains. “I would challenge anyone who underestimates it to try and use a spray paint to create work. To get can control is challenging for anyone.”

To celebrate this community of painters, Rainbow has brought them together to showcase their work at Princeton Day School’s Anne Reid ‘72 Art Gallery in an exhibition titled
“Urban Architecture.” It will be on view from December 2 to January 9, with an opening reception on December 12 from 5-7 p.m.

Jon Conner (Lank) is an artist and designer who teaches drawing and design at Mercer County Community College; a member of the mural group S.A.G.E. Collective, he has been creating public art and mural projects up and down the East Coast for 15 years.

Dave Orante, another mural painter, is a senior graphic designer at the Princeton Theological Seminary.

Kelsi Kosinski is a painter who graduated from Mason Gross School of the Arts.

Radek Selski is a graffiti artist whose paintings have been installed in the Drumthwacket Gardens.

Elan Wonder is a founding member of the graffiti group Fresh Collective.

Dean Ras Innocenzi studied with Mel Leipzig and has also worked extensively on murals at Trenton’s TerraCycle.

Graffiti artists Brendon Lopez, Mek, and Sophie Ban, who is currently exhibiting in the Drumthwacket Gardens, round out the group in the exhibition.

Princeton Day School is at 650 Great Road, Princeton. The gallery is open to the public when school is in session; the reception is free and is also open to the public.