Harvard Anthropology Student Kade McGovern awarded Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Fellowship
The Department of Anthropology at Harvard University is pleased to share that current undergraduate senior Kade McGovern ('25) has been awarded a Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Fellowship. The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Fellowship, a post-graduate, year-long experience, was founded in 1965. McGovern's proposed fellowhip plan, titled "Urban Canvases: Exploring Graffiti's Cultural Significance in Barcelona," explores the role of street art in civic identity.
McGovern shares:
I’ve loved graffiti since elementary school, when I proudly wore a t-shirt featuring Keith Haring’s TV Heads, one of his most iconic works from the 1980s New York graffiti movement. When I first arrived at Harvard, I feared this interest of mine would not find a place. Fortunately, my fears were unfounded: Harvard academics celebrate street art. Boston, however, tells a different story.
In Boston, graffiti persists despite some of the strictest anti-graffiti laws in the country. Over the past two years, I have studied the resilience of this art form in Downtown Boston and Cambridge through geospatial, quantitative, and ethnographic research. My work has uncovered a vibrant yet cautious community of artists navigating the city’s legal and social constraints.After graduation, with the support of the Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Fellowship, I will leave New England’s restrictive anti-graffiti environment to immerse myself in Barcelona, where street art is embraced as a vital part of civic identity. In Barcelona, street art is not only permitted but is celebrated, allowing the art form to flourish. Over the course of a year, I will deeply engage with Barcelona’s vibrant street art culture and, when ethical, participate in artistically transforming urban spaces. This wonderful opportunity will allow me to transition from studying graffiti as an underground culture to experiencing its power to shape communities and bring cities to life.
We look forward to hearing more about Kade's upcoming experience, and thank him for taking the time to share his insights with us.
Learn more about the Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Fellowship here.