How Rob Nero used spray paint and iconic Philadelphia athletes to burst onto city art scene

CBS News Live CBS News Philadelphia Live A South Philadelphia creative has spray-painted his way to becoming one of the city’s most recognizable stencil artists. His work is more than meets the eye. Stencil artist Rob Nero is a self-proclaimed artist. “I pretty much stick with a bold high contrast black-and-white style art,” Nero said. “That reflects my personality.” It’s not uncommon to see a line of people waiting to purchase some of Nero’s most sought-after pieces, including stenciled posters, totes, vintage sweatshirts and T-shirts featuring iconic sports faces like Saquon Barkly and Jalen Hurts. CBS News Philadelphia Nero says stenciling was not his first art genre. At first, he was a graffiti street artist, tagging buildings with inspiring words like “You belong here.” “I wanted to create something that myself and everyone in the city could relate to,” Nero said. From inspiring words to the iconic 2018 Saint Nick Foles mural following the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl LII win. “The day of the parade, it went crazy,” Nero said. “People were taking pictures and tagging me in it. That’s really when things popped off for me.” Nero continues to spend most of his days perfecting his craft. The payoff...