‘Art of Competition’: Secret Walls’ tour brings paint battle to DTLA

In 2022, Secret Walls toured the United States with its “Support Your Local Artist” Tour, visiting 30 markets in 60 days. “It was like a rock ‘n’ roll bus tour,” stated Kevin Collins, the three-year CEO of Secret Walls. “We would battle and drive overnight to the next city. It was one of those post-pandemic moments. We wanted to go everywhere and remind people what we do. But what we learned is that we want to stay longer in each city.” Secret Walls produces competitive live art events. It began in 2006 in bars and warehouses in Shoreditch, East London, and over the past 18 years the Secret Walls Universe has hosted 2,000 battles in more than 100 cities in 50 countries. The featured contemporary artist performers include graffiti writers, muralists, illustrators, cartoonists and digital artists. The current “Art of Competition” Tour, which kicked off at SRGN Studios aka The Shoe Surgeon in DTLA on Sept. 27, will travel to 13 markets and remain in each one for two to three days, immersing itself in the local scene. Each stop will present more than just a battle night. An elevated dinner and workshop are also on the calendar. The night...