This Major Research Paper is an intimate survey of current graffiti practices in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Based on interviews with three graffiti practitioners, as well as theoretical secondary sources, this paper provides a conceptual analysis of graffiti’s contemporary perceived value and use in terms of subculture, popular culture and art history. This includes a brief contextual history, and definitions of pertinent terms within the graffiti practice. This paper considers the growth and versatility of graffiti as an artistic movement and frames its findings within two themes: persistence and permanence. This paper ultimately demonstrates that graffiti does not take its value from transcending its existence (seeking value through traditional venues of validation); instead, its significance lies precisely in its continued existence on the streets. Contemporary graffiti finds permanence beyond periodization by balancing its presence in both in subcultural communities and within a great popular culture.