A Retrospective from the Double Down Kings Artchive
Curated by Cory Lee Stowers

9s Studios is proud to present its third exhibition of the year.

Alternate Identities is a landmark exhibition exploring over three decades of graffiti culture in the Washington, DC region and beyond. Curated by subcultural anthropologist, artist, and author Cory Lee Stowers, the show features more than 50 original works—canvas pieces, sketches, photographs, and found objects—drawn from the Double Down Kings Artchive, one of the most comprehensive graffiti collections in the area.

At its core, Alternate Identities is a story about names—how they're chosen, how they're written, and how they live on walls, trains, and communities. This immersive retrospective brings viewers into the world of style writing, where coded letters, layered textures, and visual rhythms reflect not only artistic mastery, but also social commentary, resistance, and personal transformation.

The exhibit features rare and intimate works created between 1992 and 2025, including pieces from Stowers’ private archive—a 30-year collection of gifted, acquired, and self-produced work. Through these visual artifacts, Alternate Identities traces the evolution of a subculture that has long existed in the margins, yet has shaped the urban landscape and regional identity in profound ways.

The exhibit expands with new contributions from the Inner Circle Artist / AI Crew—a group of writers from Bowie, Crofton, and Kent Island who helped define DC’s graffiti scene in the 1990s. Works by Shawn Adomais, Kink’d Ink, and Evil highlight the cross-regional collaborations that have fueled graffiti’s reach and resilience.

Visitors are also invited to participate in related programming:

• A Graffiti 101 workshop (Saturday, September 20th, 12–2 PM) introduces the foundational techniques of style writing in a sketch-based format. $25 paid at the door with cash/square/venmo.

• A curator talk and screening of the rarely seen documentary Chocolate City Burning, 2008 by Nick Smith, (Saturday, September 20th, 5–7 PM) provides deeper historical context on the DC graffiti movement and the legendary Dot Com crew. $5 for screening paid at the door. Popcorn/Drinks will be available for sale as well.

A longtime culture worker, Stowers is co-founder of the Double Down Kings, the region’s largest graffiti crew with over 300 members, and founder of the 14th Street Graffiti Museum in DC. He currently serves as Executive Director of DC Murals, a nonprofit documenting the city’s public art since 1997, and leads ART B.L.O.C. DC, a creative consultancy for public storytelling through design and mural work.

Stowers’ newly released book, To The East: The Rise of Public Murals East of the River, will be available for purchase throughout the exhibition.

Learn more about DC Graffiti works on his website : https://www.coryleestowers.com/

“Graffiti was my first experience in the world of art and has remained a passion of mine for years. The forging of self-identity through the painting of a name is a truly empowering experience. I return to this practice periodically to remain connected to my creative roots.”- Cory Lee Stowers