St Pauls is already one of most vibrant areas of Bristol, but is now an altogether more colourful place thanks to a £10,000 community art project funded by the West of England Combined Authority, led by Metro Mayor Dan Norris.
Spray-can in hand, the Metro Mayor put the finishing touches to a 3.6-metre high mural at St Barnabas Primary, before officially declaring not one, not two, but six murals in and around the St Pauls area open.
A year in the painting, the community mural project includes a tree-mendous painting at St Paul’s Nursery School and Children’s Centre featuring trees found in their nursery garden; a melon-dramatic artwork at the Green Melon fruit and veg box shop; and a giant painting of lovely leaves at St Paul’s Adventure Playground from the London Plane tree sadly destroyed in an arson attack during lockdown.
The St Barnabas Primary mural celebrates the plentiful plants found in the school’s sensory garden.
The murals have been designed and decorated by local artists Graft, a small team of Bristol-based graffiti and street artists Sophie and Rob Wheeler, who run Graft, are also parents at St Barnabas Primary, so this final project is particularly close to their hearts.
Speaking at a family picnic to unveil the final mural on the St Barnabas Primary playground, Metro Mayor Dan Norris hailed the beautiful wall paintings set to attract both locals and visitors alike. He said: “Home to one of the biggest, and best, street parties in Europe and with a strong sense of community, St Pauls has always been such a creative and vibrant area in this great city. I’m so proud to see these amazing murals, fully funded by the West of England Combined Authority I lead, celebrating St Pauls. They will put a smile on many people’s faces. As Metro Mayor, I’m committed to working with local people on projects that bring pride to our area. A big thank you to the super-talented Graft team”.