Graffiti has long been the bane of city officials and building owners, but times have changed. Street art is now the term used for people who create graffiti, and some of them have now found a prosperous career rather than a criminal background for their work. Previously, they painted on buildings, buses and subway cars without permission. This has always been a criminal offense and many were arrested as a reward for their hard work. This has changed as city officials and businesses have seen the value in urban decoration.
Street artists now have the ability to find paying customers for their work, and their future is no longer threatened with a series of charges for vandalism. They are hired as contract workers, and their art designs must be approved. Rather than skulking in the middle of the night, many of them are now admired during the day as they create their urban art pieces.
