Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Art & Graffiti

So yes, the recent arrest of two Bad Boy perps for tagging the fence behind Rao's made me wonder about other sites in town where the line between art and graffiti is maybe not so clearly defined.

Amherst Cinema building. Combination art/graffiti
Eagle Crest Property Management graffiti (probably a disgruntled customer of either Eagle Crest or APD)

Art Works, Main Street (definitely art)
Snell Street Bridge. Due for replacement this year (not because of graffiti)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ha! Ha! Artworks is the sign for their gallery. It's not graffiti.

Anonymous said...

"Save the Drake" is more historical than anything else -- and does sow how the Amherst of the 1970s was far more student friendly than today.

The people who actually were Willie's customers at the Drake's bar must be what -- in their early sixties now?

Larry Kelley said...

Something like that. As such, they are a perfect fit for Amherst Town Meeting.

Anonymous said...

The Drake was a dive. The Rat Cellar, Willie's home, was even worse.

Anonymous said...

When I went to UMass the Drake was a great place to hang out, not nearly as obnoxious as the 'traditional' student bars. Cheap pitchers, good jukebox, interesting crowd. (We ventured downstairs once. And ONLY once.) And yes @10:42, Amherst was more student friendly...but the students were more town-friendly too. Or at least too stoned/buzzed to make much trouble.

Anonymous said...

Love the Drake!
upstairs... downstairs... all just depended on your mood of the evening - mellow or rowdy.

I'm 55 and they close the Drake shortly after I graduated, so not too many younger than I would have frequented the establishment.

Anonymous said...

The Drake was cheap...went there often and never remember anybody arguing or fighting like a lot of clubs now. I'm 57 now, and it closed four years after I graduated, so it's a legend to most folks who aren't in Amherst for 30th or more reunions, or bringing their own kids out for four years at UMass or Amherst.

Anonymous said...

I seldom went downstairs. Too rowdy. Too smoky! Upstairs the food was good. You could rent a room for the night or the week. I also worked across the street at the Amherst Cinema in the late 70's. I did the concession stand. One night I phoned the Whole Wheat Pizza place and offered a trade. I would give them a big bag of popcorn. They would give me a cheese pizza. We both scored! Another night there was a parade and music down Main Street to "take Back the night". The teen girl standing next to me was grinding her hips to the music. I thought, "honey, do you understand what this is all about?" Now the Drake is called The Perry. And the Amherst Cinema? You wouldn't recognize the place.(We were doing a Reagan review during the week that Ron visited his son at Amherst College.) That was so long ago.