At the west end of Northeast Campus Parkway, sheltered under the University Bridge, is a two-block-long mural, titled “Create a Community.”

The mural was painted in 2004 by University of Washington alumna Jill Rothenberger and a team of volunteers. The Department of Neighborhoods awarded Rothenberger $1,679 for the project, which was matched by $4,200 from the community.

Four months later, the mural was completed.

However, Rothenberger didn’t receive the applause that follows a typical community art project. Instead, Seattle’s Department of Utilities protested the crew’s work, complaining that parts of the mural were too analogous to graffiti.

After an outcry from neighbors, including public support for the mural from Seattle City Councilmember Nick Licata, the wall was left alone. Five years later, the mural remains in excellent condition.

Though the wall space for this mural was approved by the city, complaints about various forms of street art are nothing new.

Graffiti, also known as urban or street art, has been a popular art form since the 1980s, though similar graphics can be traced back to ancient inscriptions on cave walls. In the United States, this public art was first seen on the sides of boxcars in the 1920s, and later emerged as a form of social and political expression starting in the 1960s.

The term “graffiti” obtained much of its derogatory connotation when it migrated from Philadelphia to New York City in the 1970s. There, it was predominantly located on the subway trains, making it the equivalent of a traveling advertisement for “tags.”

By the 1980s, street art was primarily connected to hip-hop culture, which already encompassed rapping, DJing and breakdancing. As time went on, “tag” art became bigger, more unique and widespread. UW junior and breakdancer Gil Umali thinks of graffiti as art.

“[Graffiti was] first put on the subways in the Bronx,” he said. “Then ‘burners’ started: tight pieces that cover a whole wall. They’re done so fast but it looks like it took a week.”

Today, most major cities maintain strict ordinances against graffiti and sometimes even against spray paint altogether.

Seattle’s Department of Utilities enforces a graffiti prevention and removal program to provide information on actions against street art. This program includes the Graffiti Nuisance Ordinance, which requires that graffiti be removed by property owners in a timely manner.

Graffiti has made its way to the UW campus as well. David Fonderland, maintenance supervisor for UW’s Facilities Services, estimates that he deals with graffiti on a daily basis.

“We classify graffiti as a tag, a splash or a masterpiece. A tag is initials, a splash usually has some content or art to it, masterpieces closely resemble art. We get mostly tags, sometimes a splash,” Fonderland explained.

Though street art is often associated with vandalism or gangs, appreciation for its “free” expression has gradually been recognized.

At Bherd Studios in Greenwood, urban artist John Osgood and his wife, Michele, have been working to gain appreciation for the designs of the street.

“It’s really important to have free walls and more places for people to practice their art,” Michele Osgood said. “A lot [of tagging] is just kids practicing.”

John Osgood, who has been painting since high school, found his niche after first practicing with oil and acrylics. The studio that he and his wife now own sells his personal artwork, prints and clothing he has designed, while also promoting the work of other urban contemporary artists in the area.

When asked about the association of graffiti and vandalism, John Osgood replied that the majority of graffiti is about passion. However, he does maintain that some tagging goes too far.

“I hate it when I see inappropriate stuff. It gives us a bad name,” he said.

However, there is a no-tolerance policy for any type of graffiti at the UW. Fonderland said that the use of chalk on blacktop for certain messages is allowed, but anything beyond that is removed.

“It doesn’t matter [what it is]. … These are government facilities, and we issue prompt removal,” Fonderland said.

Michele Osgood attributes a lot of tagging in Seattle to the lack of organization among street artists. In an attempt to become more cohesive, Bherd Studios has been working with fellow urban art groups, Twilight Artist Collective and Halogen, to create an up-and-coming Web site devoted to Seattle street artists.

Whether it be a hobby, a lifestyle or a nuisance, graffiti has been a part of human culture.

“Street art has so many angles it can be portrayed,” John Osgood said. “It’s for the street, from the street, but frame it in a different angle and it’s gallery art. It’s all about people giving back to their environment.”

Reach contributing writer Allison Blonden at development@dailyuw.com.