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Crosscurrents
Crosscurrents is our award-winning radio news magazine, broadcasting Mondays through Thursdays at 11 a.m. on 91.7 FM. We make joyful, informative stories that engage people across the economic, social, and cultural divides in our community. Listen to full episodes at kalw.org/crosscurrents

Barry McGee's latest SF exhibition, and how he turns street trash into art

This Barry McGee piece is one of many displayed at the Berggruen Gallery in San Francisco.
Photo provided by Berggruen Gallery
This Barry McGee piece is one of many displayed at the Berggruen Gallery in San Francisco.

Twist, P.Kin, Lydia Fong — those names probably ring a bell if you love graffiti art. And they’re all monikers of Barry McGee.

Back in the 1990s, Barry was part of a group of young, San Francisco artists inspired by the urban culture of The Mission. They were known as The Mission School.

Barry was a pioneer in bringing urban art into high-end galleries. His caricatures, paintings, prints, and mixed media have been displayed here and overseas. You can see his new pieces in the exhibition "Old Mystified" at the Berggruen Gallery in San Francisco.

Barry spoke about his work in the gallery, how the Mission still inspires him and why he sees the beauty in some trash on the streets.

Crosscurrents
Jeneé Darden is an award-winning journalist, author, public speaker and proud Oakland native. She is the executive producer and host of the weekly arts segment Sights & Sounds as well as the series Sights + Sounds Magazine. Jeneé also covers East Oakland for KALW. Jeneé has reported for NPR, Marketplace, KQED, KPCC, The Los Angeles Times, Ebony magazine, Refinery29 and other outlets. In 2005, she reported on the London transit bombings for Time magazine. Prior to coming to KALW, she hosted the podcast Mental Health and Wellness Radio.