Interview with Franco the Great

Item

Title
Interview with Franco the Great
Description
Jerome Haferd and Mikaila Meurer, with Anthony Carrion, interview Franco the Great AKA Franco Gaskin.

Franco the Great (born Frankin Gaskin; 1928) is a street artist based in Manhattan, New York City. He was born and raised in Panama, and is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and English. Franco the Great is also referred to as the "Harlem Picasso".

He earned notoriety by painting storefront security gates in West Harlem neighborhoods. Original pieces of Franco's are found today on 125th Street surrounding the Apollo Theater (between Frederick Douglass Blvd. and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd). Franco's murals on security gates are only viewable when the gates of the stores are closed.

Franco's murals have contributed to making Harlem a tourist destination. His work can also be found inside businesses across United States, France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Canada, Spain, Brazil, the Caribbean Islands, Senegal, and elsewhere!
interviewer
Haferd, Jerome
Meurer, Mikaila
list of contributors
Carrion, Anthony
interviewee
Gaskin, Franco
birthday
1928
Access Rights
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Contributor
Place, Memory & Culture Incubator
list of editors
Vogel, Jenna
Maldonado, Alfredo
owner
Gaskin, Franco
Rights Holder
Gaskin, Franco
Language
English
Date Created
2025-04-30
Date Available
2026-01-29