Minneapolis-based artist Peyton Scott Russell has a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and for more than 3 decades he has been a professional artist and arts instructor. The 1984 film, Style Wars, introduced Peyton to graffiti art and the world of hip-hop. This had a profound effect on him and changed the course of his artistic endeavors. 
 
In the 1990s Peyton introduced graffiti art as a fine art in the Twin Cities through gallery exhibitions and teaching in after-school programs. His current organization, SPRAYFiNGER, is dedicated to teaching, studying, and practicing graffiti and the Art of Creative Lettering. His mission, in addition to his personal artistic practice, is to increase awareness of graffiti as a teachable fine art and deepen the understanding of the medium. Peyton has engaged with multiple generations of individuals throughout the United States as well as in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and Tel Aviv, Israel.