'Haight Street Rat' by Famed Artist Banksy On View This Summer in Cooperstown

COOPERSTOWN—The work of a famous (and anonymous) street artist is on display at the Fenimore Art Museum through September 8 in the exhibit “Banksy: The Haight Street Rat.” Best known for creating art on street corners and on buildings unexpectedly, Banksy's work expresses strong political and social statements and is believed to be a driving force behind the street art movement. The exhibition not only provides the public with a chance to see the now world-renowned Banksy work but will also feature related programs.

“It’s always such a thrill to bring world-famous art like “The Haight Street Rat” to Cooperstown,” said Dr. Paul S. D'Ambrosio, Fenimore Art Museum president and chief executive officer. “We are always on the lookout for artists you may not expect to find at other upstate museums—and Banksy, being such a force in today’s culture, was an obvious choice when we discovered this piece was available.”

When politically charged murals tagged “Banksy” popped up on the façades of British buildings in the late 1990s, the overwhelming question was, “Who?” Since then, the street artist known only as Banksy* has left their mark in places like London, New York City and Los Angeles.