NEW YORK (AP)  — Brooklyn Museum officials say they are canceling an upcoming exhibit of graffiti and street art because they can’t afford to mount the show.

Called “Art In the Streets,” it’s the first major U.S. museum exhibit on the history of graffiti and street art. It’s currently on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and was scheduled to come to Brooklyn next March for three months.

But museum officials say they’ve had to make tough choices after the recession. Fundraising for the show, curated by art-world figure Jeffrey Deitch, did not meet expectations.

The exhibit was controversial in Los Angeles because some thought it glorified vandalism. New York City Councilman Peter Vallone had called for its cancellation. But the museum said Tuesday the decision was purely financial.

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