AMSTERDAM.- STRAAT, the museum for street art and graffiti situated at the NDSM wharf in Amsterdam-Noord, reported an impressive visitor count of nearly 200,000 in 2023. This represents a growth of 70% compared to 2022. In addition to the permanent collection, exhibitions such as “Women in Street Art”, the major Shepard Fairey solo exhibition “Printed Matters: Raise the Level”, and “Urban Artivism” drew large crowds. The demographic breakdown reveals that approximately 40% of the museum’s nearly 200,000 visitors originate from international locations, 20% hail from the greater Amsterdam area, while the remaining 40% represent various regions within the Netherlands. Notably, STRAAT holds a commendable average rating of 4.8 out of 5 on Google, derived from a robust sample size of over 2,300 reviews.

Women in Street Art

The “Women in Street Art” exhibition, on display from February 22nd to May 28th, 2023, shed light on the significant contributions of female artists in a domain predominantly populated by men. Noteworthy artists highlighted in this exhibition include Lady Aiko, Nina Valkhoff, and Mick La Rock. This showcase not only celebrated the broader spectrum of women in street art but also emphasized those within the STRAAT collection.

Shepard Fairey

In August, STRAAT had the honor of hosting acclaimed artist and activist Shepard Fairey. Recognized for seminal works like the ‘Andre The Giant Has A Posse’ series and the iconic ‘Hope’ poster for Barack Obama, Fairey’s comprehensive solo exhibition “Printed Matters: Raise the Level” ran in the STRAAT Gallery from August 13th to October 1st, 2023. In addition to this exhibition of 130 original artworks, Fairey and his team also crafted two murals: one gracing the western exterior wall of the museum and another substantial artwork added to the permanent collection on show inside the museum. “Printed Matters: Raise the Level” marks the most extensive Shepard Fairey solo presentation in the Netherlands to date.

Urban Artivism

The exhibition “Urban Artivism” began on October 13th. This walking route throughout the museum - suitable for all ages - highlights 15 artworks from the STRAAT collection drawing attention to the environment. Street art and graffiti have long been powerful tools for activism. In recent years, these artistic forms have also played a significant role in raising awareness about environmental issues and the need to act. One of the exhibition’s highlights is the massive 7-meter tall flamingo installation by ‘artivist’ Dulk. “Urban Artivism” is on display until January 28th, 2024.

A Special Partnership

Since the beginning of 2023, ABN AMRO has been the main partner of STRAAT. Together, ABN AMRO and STRAAT are realizing projects on current social themes: equal opportunities, sustainability, and education. ABN AMRO helps STRAAT accelerate this objective, aligning with the bank’s sponsorship strategy to promote equal opportunities for individuals and society.

30 New Works Added to the Collection

In 2023, STRAAT expanded its collection with over 30 new works. Virtually all works added to the collection were created on-site in the museum. In addition to the aforementioned Lady Aiko, Shepard Fairey, and Dulk, artists like Steve ESPO Powers, HoxxoH, Super A, and ROIDS MSK also contributed to the STRAAT Museum collection in the past year.