FORT WAYNE, Ind.—In partnership with BIPOCA Gallery, University of Saint Francis Creative Arts will present a free lecture by Kool Koor, a graffiti pioneer and legend who gained prominence in the 1980s urban art scene.
Kool Koor will speak at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 5 at the Saint Francis North Campus Auditorium, 2702 Spring Street.
Kool Koor began his career in 1979, writing graffiti on subway trains and throughout the urban landscape of New York City. He is known for his space-age-inspired works, which range from surreal scenes to intricate works of abstraction.
Born Charles Hargrove in 1963, Kool Koor attended the Art and Design School in Midtown, New York, and lived in the same South Bronx neighborhood as graffiti masters A-One and Toxic. Kool Koor and fellow artists at that time were among the first to diverge from “classic” graffiti art and forge new innovations. Kool Koor then expanded his art to create paintings, drawings and site-specific pieces that were more gallery oriented. His works have been included in the Venice Biennale, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Groninger Museum (Netherlands).
For more information, contact Saint Francis Creative Arts and Communication, Animation and Technology Coordinator Molly McGowan at 260-399-7700, ext. 8001 or mmcgowan@sf.edu.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the College of Health Sciences and the College of Arts, Sciences and Business. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point and online. USF Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis, recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution, has 18 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships. Approximately 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.