Jeffrey Deitch is co-curating a street art exhibition in Coney Island this summer with Joseph Sitt, head of real estate developer Thor Equities. The show features artists including Crash, Lee Quinones, Futura, Kenny Scharf, Miss Van, Lady Pink, Swoon, and Icy Signs, and will debut alongside Smorgasburg Coney Island with 12 food vendors and live music. Deitch previously organized the controversial 2011 exhibition "Art in the Streets" at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, which drew large crowds but faced criticism for prioritizing entertainment over scholarship, and included the censorship of a mural by Blu.
The collaboration raises concerns due to Thor Equities' contentious history, including the forced closure of the beloved Astroland amusement park in 2008 and allegations of mistreating rent-stabilized tenants in SoHo. The article criticizes the partnership as a sanitized, commercialized version of graffiti culture, contrasting it with the authentic, gritty spirit of Coney Island's past. It also highlights Deitch's troubled tenure at LA MOCA, where he alienated artist-trustees and struggled with fundraising, questioning the integrity of the current project.