A Canvas for Culture, Cause, and Creative Freedom
...founded in 1999 by acclaimed American artist William Quigley and Dispatch founder, musician Pete Francis. Skrapper is a socially conscious creative brand blending art, fashion, music, and philanthropy. Born in New York City at the height of the contemporary art explosion, Skrapper began as a cultural billboard—a platform to partner and promote creativity, community, and a core philosophy centered on education, giving, and respect.
As the New York / LA contemporary art world grew internationally, Quigley used Skrapper and created AB Gallery in 1994 to showcase art, build a community and share its philosophy about the importance of culture, education, giving and respect to a wider audience. Each piece is a reinvention from an original artwork transforming his restless creativity into a wearable canvas that blur the lines of Art + Fashion.
William Quigley: The Artist Behind the Brand
Educated at the University of the Arts (Philadelphia), University of Pennsylvania, Tyler School of Art (Rome), and Columbia University (MFA), Quigley studied under iconic artists including Alice Neel, Richard Diebenkorn, Clement Greenberg, Darby Bannard, Laurie Anderson, and Lee Krasner.
His first exhibition was in June 1985 at one of the US top art collectors Henry McNeil Gallery in Philadelphia—alongside Andy Warhol, organized by legendary art dealer Bruno Bischofberger. He continued exhibited with hundreds of artists and iconic figures such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Julian Schnabel, Keith Haring, Pat Steir, Cy Twombly, de Kooning and Anselm Kiefer. In 1989, he moved to Los Angeles, joining forces with Manny Silverman Gallery, which represented giants like De Kooning, Rothko, Frankenthaler, and Rauschenberg.
In 1992, Ferran Cano and Ernst Beyeler, founder of Art Basel, invited Quigley to participate in his first Art Basel and to undertake an eight-month residency painting at the former Joan Miró studio in Mallorca, now the Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró. The year prior, in 1991, through Manny Silverman Gallery, was en route to paint with Joan Mitchell in Giverny before the planned engagement was ultimately canceled due to the artist’s illness.
Skrapper’s Cultural & Charitable Legacy
Quigley’s work in Los Angeles extended to film, music, and performance, collaborating with Madonna, Prince, Tom Petty, Outkast, Paula Abdul, and directors such as David Fincher, Nigel Dick, and Eric Heimbold. He often sold his paintings to high-profile figures including Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Magic Johnson.
Back in New York in 1999, Quigley hosted art events and made introductions between now-legendary brands like Grey Goose, Red Bull, and Milk Studios. On his birthday, April 29, 1999, at an art show for over 100 guests, he casually poured what became the first-ever Grey Goose & Red Bull cocktail, marking a cultural moment.
Skrapper was officially born later that year after Quigley met director Eric Heimbold and Pete Francis of the band Dispatch. From 1999–2007, he began marketing the band through creative stage productions, designing the album Who Are We Living For (2000), and performing as an energetic dancer Francis dubbed, Mr. Wiggles. In 2007 Dispatch became the only independent band to sell out Madison Square Garden, in a benefit concert for AIDS in Zimbabwe.
In 2005, Uncle Funky's legend skater Jeff Gaites and producer Eric Weinrib asked Quigley to curate a skate board show at Milk Studios with Tony Alva, who donated 150 boards. Quigley named the event “Boarding for Breast Cancer” and with Gaites and Weinrib organized over 110 artists, musicians, and models including 50cent, Julian Schnabel, Petra Nemcova, Jeff Koons, Peter Beard, Robin Williams, Danny Clinch, Michael Fredo, Barry McGee, Pete Francis, Michael Dweck, Swoon, Andy Dick etc to paint on and re-create custom Alva skateboards all auctioned for the cause. Sponsored by Grey Goose and Red Bull, the event raised near $500,000. Boarding for Breast cancer is a non profit foundation supporting Breast Cancer since 1996.
Collaborations & Recognition
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In 2004, Quigley helped edit and produce Michael Dweck’s celebrated book Montauk: The End with Skrapper partner Jeremy Miller.
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In 2007, was honored as VH1 Save the Music Visual Artist of the Year at Lincoln Center in recognition of his charitable contributions, alongside President Bill and Hillary Clinton, Mariah Carey, Roger Waters, Jon Bon Jovi, and John Mayer.
- Painted Presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, and in 2006 created a portrait of Donald Trump, which was later purchased by Trump in 2013 at a charity event supporting Guild Hall and Soldier Ride.
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In 2016, he was offered to help organize the East Hampton Artists & Writers Charity Softball Game, the oldest Hampton tradition started in 1948 by artists Jackon Pollock, Lee Krasner, Franz Kline, Joan Mitchell, Willem De Kooning, writers Barney Rosset and Harold Rosenberg. raising funds for local charities including Phoenix House, East End Hospice, The Retreat, and Eleanor Whitmore Childcare Center.
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has exhibited with some of the most respected art galleries and art fairs worldwide including mega collector, Henry S. McNeil, Manny Silverman, Julie Keyes, Karl Hutter Fine Art, Ernst Beyeler, Ferran Cano, The Bonnier Gallery, Galeria Cortina, The Philadelphia Museum of Fine, and Art Basel. William Quigley was selected by another William E. Quigley, billionaire crypto founder of Tether and WAX, to create the art for a unique NFT collection featuring Quigley's paintings of Babe Ruth, Derek Jeter, Ted Williams and Willie Mays. It is not often that two men who share a first and last name can collaborate on a project.
The Mission Today
Skrapper remains committed to raising awareness and funds for education, healthcare, and veterans’ causes—while continuing to partner and license with forward-thinking brands and collaborate with creatives across disciplines.
SOCIAL & ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY HAVE NEVER BEEN UP FOR DEBATE
We are a green company through and through — taking every opportunity we can to reduce our co2 emissions. We use 7x less water than average clothing manufacturers, and our manufacturing facilities produce almost no landfill because we recycle pretty much everything that can't be turned into a tee.
100% SWEATSHOP FREE and Platinum WRAP Certified. Doing things the right way has never been up for debate. American made is something we believe in deeply and have been manufacturing in the U.S. and internationally in a no-sweat-shop, humane, sustainable way since day one.
Each month SKRAPPER will release new limited editions of collectible prints and apparel.