Dubbed the Spray Paint Zorro, his art is always easy to identify: bright, colorful, and full of iconic American characters. If you know the right place to look, you just might find him thriving on adventure in the dead of night. After all, his thrills are far from ordinary. In fact, they’re illegal, often ending with run-ins with the law. But L.A. graffiti artist Alec Monopoly is not concerned about legalities.  Instead, he’s concerned about creativity and the significance of his messages. “It would only bother me if I were chased/arrested for the ‘idea’ of my work, than the act,” he told PBS. So what exactly is worth Alec being arrested? Simply put, Monopoly.

alec4Loving Monopoly as a child and even now, the street artist sees the game in a different light. In an interview with Huffington Post, he explained, “Monopoly started out as a symbol of what was going on in the economy. At the start of the recession in 2008 I started portraying Bernie Madoff [the disgraced American financier] in my art and using Monopoly in the background. Then one day I was playing Monopoly and realized that Bernie Madoff is like Uncle Moneybags.” From there, his art has been comprised of various messages about society.

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ryan4“We were created to be creators,” the  Atlanta  saxophonist informed me before the release party for his debut album began. Despite having just arrived home from touring with the legendary Stevie Wonder, fourth generation saxophonist Ryan Kilgore was full of energy and eager to talk. His stylish dark brown suit, paired with a crisp collared white shirt, and playful polka dot bowtie, hinted at his ability to create a well put together outfit. The musical note design cut into his hair marked him as a musician while further validating his playful style. But his fashion sense is no match for his God-given musical talent. “Just Walk,” his latest project, illustrated the very essence of his story: walking into destiny.

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