Graduation Banner Signed by Tupac - Baltimore School for the Arts, Class of 1988. Designed and created by Darrin Keith Bastfield for GE-OLOGY Add to favourites
This original graduation banner was designed and created in 1988 by artist Darrin Keith Bastfield for GE-OLOGY's Baltimore School for the Arts graduation celebration during Tupac Shakur’s time in Baltimore, shortly before his relocation to California and prior to his emergence as a public figure.
The banner functioned as a communal artifact within the BSA social and creative circle and was subsequently signed and marked by classmates and friends in attendance, including Tupac Shakur, who inscribed both his name and his early emcee moniker, MC New York. Additional inscriptions by members of the BSA community further reflect the close-knit environment that shaped this formative period.
The banner appears in contemporaneous archival photographs from the same event, directly linking the object to its original context and reinforcing its authenticity as a primary-source artifact from this moment in Tupac Shakur’s early life.
Key Details
• Graduation banner for the Baltimore School for the Arts, Class of 1988
• Original artwork designed and created by Darrin Keith Bastfield for GE-OLOGY's party
• Signed by Tupac Shakur (MC New York) and fellow BSA classmates
Collectibility
• Provenance: Designed and created by Darrin Keith Bastfield; preserved and presented from the collection of GE-OLOGY
• Rarity: Exceptional — early, informally signed artifacts from this period are extremely scarce
• Historic significance: A rare, first-hand object documenting the social and creative environment surrounding Tupac Shakur prior to his professional career
By bidding on or purchasing any item from this collection that includes recorded audio material (such as master tapes, demo recordings, or unreleased sessions), or photography you agree to the following terms:
- These recordings and photographs are sold strictly for private, non-commercial use by the winning bidder only.
- Ownership of the physical item does not grant any rights to the underlying recordings, compositions, performances, images or intellectual property. All rights remain with the original rights holders.
- You may not reproduce, copy, distribute, publish, share, broadcast, perform, licence, monetise, or otherwise exploit them in any form.
- They must not be shared with third parties in any format, whether for free or for financial gain.
- Any unauthorised use may result in legal action, including claims for copyright infringement, injunctive relief, and recovery of damages and legal costs.
By proceeding with a bid or purchase, you confirm that you understand and accept these terms in full.
Before you bid:
Please note that, on top of the final bidding price, you (the buyer) will be charged the following:
- Buyer premium of 20% on top of the final hammer price. E.g. for a winning bid of $100, you will pay $120 plus shipping, insurance, and taxes. The buyer premium helps us invest in curation, appraisals, verification, content and platform development.
- Shipping, packing, insurance & handling costs - see 'shipping' section below for more details
- Import duties and taxes - these vary by location and are payable by the buyer upon delivery, if applicable
Shipping method: All orders are shipped tracked.
Insurance: For all orders over $200 we will include 1.3% on top of the hammer price to cover insurance.
Packing: We work with trusted packing teams to ensure the best delivery of your items. This will be added to the final cost.
Expected delivery: Item ships 2 weeks after auction closes. Delivery time varies by location.
We run a popcorn bidding process. This means that if you put a bid in within the last minute of the auction, the clock will extend for another 5 minutes. This allows everyone time to get their bids in fairly.
discover the graduation party at ge-ology's house
