Street art is ephemeral. Sold Out Art Show is a New York based art project that exists with the intention of making street art last longer. It began in January 2022 when the first round of canvases was dropped in the streets of Brooklyn. After a few days they were all gone so Sold Out made more, and those were also fast gone. Giving people the chance to take street art home has turned into a rewarding scavenger hunt where the city is the playground.

The project continued but this time driving people to connect via a website and eventually social media. Once the next 100 pieces were posted up in the street, messages started to come through. Messages like, “I was having a shitty day and stumbled upon your canvas, and it made my day” produced the greatest satisfaction and sense of accomplishment so the art naturally kept coming and evolving. Each new character is unique and the Sold Out Art Show universe has taken on a life of its own.

On a day of inspiration, the first stickers were printed and posted all over the streets, revealing that with a fresh batch of stickers you can truly understand the power of the street to showcase your art. Almost immediately the audience continued to grow and reached more people in addition to the canvas collectors. Wheat pastes and graffiti soon followed, bringing the artist back to their roots. 

It’s been a year since the project started and over 800 original canvases have been created and posted in the streets. Collaborations are happening with multiple admired artists from the New York Street scene and the canvases were showcased in a few New York art shows.

This project has brought art to an ever-growing list of cities including New York, Boston, Miami, Austin, Richmond, Savannah, Washington, DC, Chicago, New Orleans, San Juan, PR, San Francisco and Barcelona. Collectors of the project have taken the canvases from New York to over 15 countries in Asia, Europe, and South America. One day, Sold Out hopes to get everyone who owns a piece to come together in a big show of the faces with many eyes made by one person.

Some art is for sale, for commissions email soldoutartshow@gmail.com