James De La Vega

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James De La Vega is an artist who lives and works in New York City’s Spanish Harlem (AKA East Harlem/El Barrio); he has a store on St. Mark’s Place in the East Village. He is known primarily for his murals and the chalk drawings he creates on public surfaces such as sidewalks. His murals can be found all over East Harlem, and his chalk drawings may show up anywhere in the city. His street drawings, almost always chalk, are usually accompanied by aphoristic messages such as “Become Your Dream.” Legally, much of his work qualifies as graffiti, although many put them in a separate genre. In 2004, Salon.com called him "probably the most revered street artist in New York."^[1]

In July 2003, De La Vega was charged with vandalism for a mural he painted on a blank wall in the Bronx. He was offered one year’s probation in exchange for a guilty plea, but that would have required him to state that his intent was to “damage” property. He refused to say this. As a result, in June 2004, he faced trial for the offense, and a judge found him guilty.^[2] After apologizing to the building’s owner, De La Vega was sentenced to 50 hours of community service.^[3]

De La Vega depiction of singer Celia Cruz

De La Vega is a Cornell University-educated^[2] former teacher.^[4] While at Cornell, De la Vega also became a member of the Latino community service organization La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Incorporated.^[5]