Today we’d like to introduce you to Pedro Amos.
Hi Pedro, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I’m a Miami native, born and raised. I officially began my creative adventure via graffiti in 1994. At that time graffiti was not as appreciated as it is today, quite the contrary. Graffiti at the time was mostly vandalism. The art consisted of street bombing (tags and bubble letters painted in the street at night) and freight train graffiti. The graffiti subculture was a very tight-knit and private community. Many graffiti writers came and went, few stayed in the game full-time without taking a break at some point, whether a forced break, or a self-imposed pause for personal reasons. You’d meet people from every corner of the city, and all walks of life, and we all had graffiti in common.
Public street art and graffiti began to gain more acceptance in Miami around the 2000s. In the early 2000’s, I began to paint scenic backgrounds for films, “Rock of Ages” and tv shows, “Graceland” and “Burn Notice”. I soon began to notice the importance of art in a professional setting. The jobs were great, and exactly what I wanted to do for a living, but the gigs were few and far between. I knew to be successful I’d have to immerse myself in the arts full-time.
In 2016 I launched Miami’s Best Graffiti Guide. The only artist-owned and operated tour company in Wynwood. The idea was to show civilians street art in the Wynwood neighborhood and explain the “who, what, where, and why” of the art, from an artist’s perspective. That business took off right away as the art was so prominent, and very few folks actually knew the story behind the art and culture.
In 2017, I was asked to take the position as co-art director for Basel House Mural Festival. At the time, I didn’t realize that it would become the largest mural festival in the world. We curated a very large section of the Wynwood neighborhood and showcased over 50+ artists annually. This position also kept me in the “artistic scene”. I was able to network and collaborate with international artists, which in turn helped me expand my brand of art.
As of December of 2021, I opened Pedro AMOS Galeria, located in the Little River district in Miami. The gallery showcases my available works and the art is available for purchase. We also host a variety of workshops and team-building events.
I feel very honored to be a part of this genre. I always remind people that passion can’t be taught, and if you try to fake it, it’s obvious.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been easy road, but nothing worthwhile ever is. Carving out a career in the arts is challenging. Especially a career derived from graffiti, an art form that was synonymous with crime and vandalism. Explaining that distinction of art vs. vandalism was/ is a tall task. Nonetheless, you can argue that the public art/graffiti/street art movement has been the biggest art movement since the Renaissance.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Miami’s Best Graffiti Guide?
Miami’s Best Graffiti Guide is an artist-owned and operated company founded in 2016. Our goal is to spread the authentic voice of a local artist and provide an inspiring, engaging and educational tour experience. It’s our responsibility to provide accurate information and preserve the integrity of the Wynwood neighborhood and the artists who paint in it. This holds true if we’re giving tours in other cities as well. We’ve conducted tours in Montreal since 2017 for the Mural Festival, one of my favorite festivals in the world.
We provide experiences such as VIP Golf Cart Tours, Can Control Crash Courses (graffiti demo), and corporate team-building events using graffiti and spray paint as the medium.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
After extensive traveling worldwide… I can confirm… Miami is (currently) hands down the greatest city in the world. Miami is whatever you make it. You can really do anything here. The old joke is, “The great thing about Miami, is it’s so close to the United States.”. In the past 15 years, there’s been an enormous influx of culture, from culinary to street art. Don’t forget, we have our natural beauty as well, with incredible beaches and year-round beach weather. But for me, it’s the diversity of people. We have it all, Eastern Europeans, Western Europeans, South Americans, Carribean folks, the list is endless. Other than the obvious traffic and suffocating summer temperatures, I think Miami’s perfect. Miami is in no way a small pond. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.
Pricing:
- Can Control Crash Course- $50
- VIP Cart Tour- $39
- AMOS’ artwork- $50-$30,000
Contact Info:
- Website: www.miamisbestgraffitiguide.com www.pedroamos.com
- Instagram: @miamisbestgraffitiguide @pedro_amos_galeria @pedro_amos_
- Facebook: @Miamis Best Graffiti Guide
- Twitter: @Pedro_amos_
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/NicePete811
