A passion for paint — Joel J. Wittnebel

"Tyson envisioned a store that was more than a store. It would be a place to sell graffiti supplies, but it would also be a place where those with a passion for the culture, like him, could hang out and paint, legally. More importantly, it could be a place for kids to fuel their passion."

Chad Tyson is the owner of The Paint Factory in Oshawa, Ontario. The combination shop, art gallery, studio space and classroom is a showcase of local talent and a place for graffiti enthusiasts to practice their talent with the worry of legal action.

The first time I spoke with Chad he called my office line, upset about an article we ran. The brief from city hall, which was about Oshawa's initiative to create the first legal graffiti space in the city.

It was wrong, Chad told me, because The Paint Factory already had such a space, the city was trying to take credit for something they shouldn't.

I agreed, and being a huge fan of graffiti, immediately asked Chad if I could tell his story. He happily agreed, and this was the end result.

The Full Story

Published in the July 26, 2017 edition of The Oshawa Express.