Rich was one of the most memorable guest speakers we’ve had by far. To me, street and graffiti art has always been shrouded in mysticism and romanticism, but Rich helped me understand the culture around it much better. Street art is something that I still admire a great deal, because of its inherent danger and risk, much like photojournalism. The idea of putting yourself at risk of getting in trouble with the law for the sake of artistic expression or political activism is something truly admirable, but only to an extent. I think Rich also shares my concerns, when he talks about “throw-up” graffiti, in which some kid decides to plaster their name or symbol over a mural or piece of blank space, just to provoke people. There is a line that should be drawn between purely provocative graffiti, and tasteful or meaningful street art. Rich Stremme was an excellent storyteller, and helped me understand his views on society much better.