It is June, it is winter, and it can be bleak. But thanks to a vibrant community initiative, colour has come to Katoomba!
Launched in June 2015, a usually nondescript laneway in Katoomba known as Beverly Place became alive with colour thanks to a collaboration between Street Art Murals Australia (SAMA), The Blue Mountains Cultural Centre and the University of Western Sydney.
A plaque at the beginning of the laneway states- 'The street Art Walk displays world standard street art from all aerosol disciplines. International, national and local artists of varying experience paint large-scale artworks in this precinct through a curated process of proposal and selection. Stylistically the murals cover all street art artistic disciplines and are temporary by nature’.
The plaque also offers us the history-‘ The Street Art Walk was conceived in 2013 when local resident Dave Riley suggested painting murals in this laneway to SAMA’s founder Jarrod Wheatley. At once the sites’ urban aesthetics and potential to make a positive contribution to street artists, the town and its creative economies were recognised. SAMA worked for 18 months, meeting legal, heritage, planning and stakeholder requirements. The space was launched in June 2015 after being initially resourced through a highly successful crowd funding campaign, to which 135 individuals contributed’.
You can rate the Street Art Walk on the Trip Advisor page. Post your photos of the Street Art Walk using these hashtags: #thestreetartwalk and #streetartmuralsaustralia Stay in the loop by liking SAMA's Facebook page and following them on instagram at @streetartmuralsaustralia
For more information about the space visit SAMA website