It’s not every day you see a museum director pull a hoodie on over his coat and tie.
But Jon Carfagno, executive director of the Mobile Museum of Art, had a few things he wanted to celebrate at a Wednesday morning press conference. One was the fact that since the Museum was unveiling its new logo and branding scheme, he finally was free to wear his new favorite sweatshirt in public.
Freshening up the museum’s look and marketing for the first time in well over a decade is a big deal for its staff and supporters. But the bigger news for patrons is that later this year, the museum in Mobile’s Langan Municipal Park will welcome a one-of-a-kind exhibition featuring works by five massively influential artists: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Banksy and Kaws.
“Truly, any museum would be shouting from the rooftop about having one work of art by any of these artists, or a small handful,” Carfagno said. “This exhibition is going to be 28 total paintings including a room-sized installation by Kenny Sharf.”
The exhibition, titled “Gateway from Graffiti to Gallery” is set to open Sept. 1 and to run for a year. Carfagno said the works have never before been assembled for such a display. They belong to collectors and investors “from across the globe,” he said, and have been made available through a collaboration with Masterworks, a company that allows investors to buy shares in “multi-million dollar, blue-chip artworks.”
The featured artists all are known for work rooted in graffiti and other “street art.” Carfagno said it also shows the progression of genre: He described Basquiat, Haring and Scharf as “the three leading voices of the street art ethos of the 1980s” and Banksy and Kaws as the two leading contemporary artists in the field. By pulling all five together, he said, “Gateway” shows how Kaws and Banksy have been influenced by their predecessors.
British graffiti artist Banksy is known for works that range from surrealist whimsy to unsettling social commentary. This one, showing a judge beating a protester, was painted on a exterior wall of the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Sept. 9. It was promptly covered and soon removed. (Justin Tallis/Getty)Justin Tallis/Getty
The five have crossed over into pop culture at times; Haring did work for MTV in its ‘80s ascendency, among other high-profile projects, and Banksy’s provocative social commentary frequently has made headlines.
“This is the first time these 28 paintings are ever going to be seen together,” said Carfagno. “And right now we’re the exclusive venue for this show. So again, this is a big, big moment for our cultural community here in southwest Alabama.”
Mobile County Commissioner Connie Hudson revealed that another potential blockbuster will follow in early 2027, when the museum presents an exhibition of works by 25 leading female artists in the post-World War II abstract expressionist movement.
“These two remarkable exhibitions reinforce why this museum continues to earn the kind of recognition that it does,” said Hudson. As an example of such recognition, she cited Alabama Magazine, which in 2025 picked the institution as the best art museum in the state.
Ongoing exhibitions at the museum include “Juan Logan: Without Stopping;” “Vuzumazulu: The Black Solarium;” and “Fantastical Forest,” an interactive installation for children.
For full information, visit MobileMuseumofArt.com.