Visual Art Installation

Does artistic freedom have a price? If you ask Buck, of the D.C.-based art collective AM Radio, yes, it does. It took commercial sponsorship from Adidas, Converse and now Heineken to bring the group and its graffiti-esque murals, live art installations and DJ nights to Philly. "Companies like Heineken give us the money to do what we want to do," says Buck. "We use that as a vehicle to get our message of freedom across and reach a crowd that we normally would not connect with." When their current run is over, AM Radio will have made about a dozen appearances in Philly bars and clubs. Painting live while a DJ blasts hip-hop allows for instant feedback from the audience. "The whole process is about building, and doing it live allows us to build with the crowd — off their thoughts, movements and energy," says manager Gerald Watson. "People come up to us and inquire how they can incorporate murals into their own homes, school and communities — which we appreciate, because we help open up that window."