A stretch of Great Jones Street in downtown Manhattan between Bowery and Lafayette has been officially renamed "Jean-Michel Basquiat Way" in a ceremony co-organized by the Basquiat estate and the New York City Council. The street naming honors the late artist, who lived and worked in a second-floor space at 57 Great Jones Street from 1983 until his death in 1988, a property he rented from Andy Warhol. The event featured remarks from Basquiat's sisters Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux, along with city officials and cultural figures.
The renaming matters because it permanently embeds Basquiat's legacy into the physical fabric of New York City, recognizing his profound impact on contemporary art and culture. Basquiat, who began his career as part of the graffiti duo SAMO, challenged established notions of high and low art, race, and class through his visionary work. The street naming follows a 2016 plaque installation by Village Preservation and Two Boots Pizza, and underscores the city's ongoing effort to honor Black artists who helped redefine modern art.