The roots of skateboarding appear in the 1950s when surfers applied the idea of surfing to the streets. The first skateboards were simple, wooden planks with roller skate parts bolted to the bottom. By the 1960s, the first skateboard-specific manufacturers appeared as well as the first skateboarding contest. After this peak, popularity began to decline, but new advances in the urethane wheel in the early 1970s gave rise to a boom in the sport.

Throughout the 1970s, companies devoted to skateboarding thrived, but the sport rose and fell in popularity as corporations took advantage of their opportunities. In the 1980s, skateboarding coincided with the punk rock scene, and skateboarding once again took to the streets, this time reborn bigger and better. The art, the tricks, the equipment, and the personalities of this time made this the golden era of skateboarding.

Through the ups and downs, booms and crashes, what remains is that skateboarding is constantly evolving with new tricks, new terrain, and endless possibilities. This multi-part exhibition will explore the history, art, and culture of skateboarding past and present.

FWMoA is closed Mondays.