The Bronx Documentary Center is celebrating the history of New York graffiti and hip-hop culture with Martha Cooper: Streetwise, a striking photography exhibition running from April 9 through June 14, 2026 located at the BDC Annex in the South Bronx.
The exhibit features the legendary photography of Martha Cooper, whose images captured the rise of graffiti and hip-hop culture across New York City during the 1970s and 1980s. Recognised for documenting graffiti-covered subway trains and street life throughout the Bronx, Cooper helped preserve a movement that would later influence art and culture around the world.
Through a collection of powerful photographs, visitors are taken back to a time when subway cars became moving canvases and the streets of the Bronx became the birthplace of a global creative movement.
Martha Cooper: Streetwise offers an inside look at the energy and creativity of old-school New York, showcasing images that continue to define the visual history of hip-hop culture today.
Visitors can expect a vivid journey through the Bronx and downtown New York during the birth of hip-hop culture. The exhibit includes classic photographs of graffiti-covered subway cars, street artists, neighborhood murals, and scenes from everyday urban life. It also highlights Cooper’s broader documentary work, including images of Puerto Rican casitas, street racing, and community spaces that helped shape Bronx identity. The exhibition highlights not only graffiti art, but also the communities, music, and everyday moments that shaped the era.
The Exhibition Runs from
April 9 – June 14, 2026
BDC Annex, 364 E. 151st Street, Bronx, NY
Gallery Hours:
• Thursday – Friday: 3 PM – 7 PM
• Saturday – Sunday: 1 PM – 5 PM
• Closed Monday – Wednesday
Admission is free and open to the public.
