1972 : 

Graffiti became a new American art form created by Black and Latino teens. A Puerto Rican sociology student, Hugo Martinez, established the United Graffiti Artists (UGA) in 1972. Prior to the creation of the UGA, graffiti was considered only as vandalism. The following summer, graffiti art, formerly found only in the streets, was introduced to upscale galleries in Soho, New York. This created a new respect for graffiti in the art world. Graffiti art is one way to introduce multicultural art to students in the classroom.