Spennymoor Mural Festival: Street artists bring blank walls to life

Street artists have been painting walls as part of Spennymoor Mural Festival. Credit: Sarah Loveland

Artists from across the North East have been bringing their street art to formerly bare walls in a town centre.

At the start of the week, the walls in a yard in Spennymoor, in County Durham were blank.

After days of hard work by the street artists behind the Spennymoor Mural Festival, they are a riot of colour.

One of the murals created during the festival in Spennymoor. Credit: Sarah Loveland

Lewis Hobson, of Durham Spray Paints, who organised the festival, said: "It's gone beyond what I had hoped it would be. It's been embraced. Local artists and community members have really seen not just the value in the murals but in the ethos.

"We've had so many people come along we've had camp chairs out so people can see what we're doing.

"We've been here to paint but it's also about the process and getting footfall and talking to people and hope they understand what we're doing."

  • Lewis Hobson, speaking at the start of the festival

More than half a dozen artists have been involved with the festival, which has seen them working on walls to the rear of town centre hardware shop R Defty's.

Among them are Twenty Six Studio, Mark One87, Frank Styles, Nocciola The Drawer and Sally Loves Sharpies, who have been on hand to talk to people about their work.

Mr Hobson is behind many of the murals which have sprung up in nearby villages, with his previous work stemming from multiple inspirations, from County Durham's mining heritage to the RNLI in Hartlepool.

The Tiger in Sacriston was painted by Lewis Hobson. Credit: Lewis Hobson

He already hopes to bring back the festival next year and has future project planned.

He said: "I want to put Spennymoor on the map in terms of culture in County Durham. We've got everything we need here to exist as an artist but we needed something to band us together.

"People are saying it's very hopeful for Spennymoor. It's bright and fun. It brightens your day - I think it's really needed."

He added: "I love what murals can do for a community. They can talk about history; they can represent the desires and what people want to see in their area. People really band around them."

The festival continues until Sunday 9 July and there is also an exhibition in the Bob Abley Art Gallery at Spennymoor Town Hall.

Some of the artists behind the Spennymoor Mural Festival. Credit: Sarah Loveland

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