Brand New Car | John Grider

John Grider (b. 1980) is a self-taught artist whose innovative approach to stencil art, collage, and mural-making has earned him recognition across the globe. Grider’s distinctive work, often featuring mythic animal forms in dynamic compositions, appears in over 92 mural locations worldwide — from Paris, London, Brooklyn, Baltimore, and Nashville to his hometown of Minneapolis.

Grider began his career creating collages before translating them into multi-layered compositions using hand-cut stencils and paint. Inspired by Michelangelo’s use of scale and employing a grid system, he developed a mural style that fuses street art’s immediacy with fine art’s formal sophistication. In 2003, he co-founded Broken Crow, a Minneapolis-based mural collective, expanding the reach and ambition of his work.

With Brand New Car, Grider explores the evolving mythology of animals in urban environments. His vivid depictions of creatures—bright blue goats, prowling foxes, soaring birds—serve as both witnesses and participants in the shifting landscapes of human cities. The exhibition features new stencil paintings and collages that continue Grider’s dialogue between nature, city life, and memory. “John’s work bridges the raw energy of the street with the intimacy of the studio,” says Douglas Flanders. “This exhibition captures his mastery of scale, precision, and storytelling.”

Also on View: Curated Group Exhibition
In addition to Grider’s solo show, Douglas Flanders & Associates will present a group exhibition featuring works by Emmi Whitehorse, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Mario Reis, Leslie Holt, Mary Lingen, Donna Bruni, and more. Together, these artists explore themes of landscape, memory, and cultural narrative through abstraction, symbolism, and material experimentation. The exhibition creates a layered conversation between Grider’s animal-centric urban mythologies and the broader artistic dialogue on place, identity, and the natural world.

Regular Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 11 am – 6 pm