Michael Rushmore
London, England
He took a gap year to curate an exhibit in London on street art and produce an accompanying coffee table book.
Rushmore had long shared an interest in street art with his father, but two and a half years ago that interest developed into “an obsession of sorts," he says. "I tend to be the one going to every possible gallery event and wandering the streets of cities around the world looking for street art and graffiti," says Rushmore, who is also the founder of the art blog Vandalog.
With his exhibit, a retrospective survey titled “The Thousands: Painting Outside, Breaking In,” Rushmore wanted to show that street artists made art that could work in a gallery setting. Including work by artists from as far away as Tel Aviv and Los Angeles, and from many well-known names in the genre (Swoon, Banksy, Shepard Fairey) the “pop-up” show drew over 100 visitors in its short run. "Surprisingly, my age wasn't much of an impediment to the process," says Rushmore, whose book, drawn from the show, was published by DRAGO Press. "People seemed to love the idea of supporting an 18-year-old's project." Taking a gap year off to work on the project, he says, was one of best decisions of his life.