Target reached!
The stretch target will help fund the creation of as many new painted doors and mura...
Mural in Tay Street Lane, Dundee
Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom
Aim
We need your help to create a beautiful artwork on a small gable end in Tay Street Lane, Dundee, and start a city-wide mural trail!
Project aim
Murals are a brilliant way to create community pride, encourage social interaction, show off local artistic talent and to entice people to explore a city! That’s why we’re hoping to create a fantastic mural trail around Dundee, starting with one in Tay Street Lane.
Mock-up of the mural, by project artists Kirsty Whiten and The Fandangoe Kid
Background
For the past two years, Open/Close Dundee has been creating murals on doors down back-alleys and lanes, to brighten them up and make them interesting places for people to explore. We have a trail of painted doors in both the city centre and in Stobswell, as well as a trail of painted Euro bins along the Perth Road. The artworks have been very popular, and we also offer guided tours and printed maps to help you discover them all.
The idea is that the trail of artworks encourages people to walk around the city, exploring so becoming a bit healthier whilst supporting local artists, fostering community pride and social interaction between people.
Since the success of the painted door trails, we’re now ready to start creating murals on larger surfaces across the whole of Dundee!
The plan is to create a mural trail which links all of the major cultural attractions with the communities in Dundee, encouraging exploration of the whole city. Murals will be used to create this link, and be positioned strategically so that they are in-between or nearby these attractions and local community areas. Long-term, we'd like to see physical infrastructure built to link the cultural attractions and communities - safe, segregated walking and cycling routes - with the idea that visitors and residents alike could use the routes for active travel, becoming fitter and happier as they do so.
Open/Close artworks in Stobswell
What are we doing?
We're looking to fund a large-scale artwork to kick off the mural trail, and have identified a wall on the gable end of a mews building down Tay Street Lane.
This picturesque street is quite hidden from view and a bit off the beaten track, so a wee explore will be required to find the mural - just what we like! The building also houses some great creative enterprises as well as being very close to cultural attractions like the Rep and the DCA, as well as having plenty of independent locally-owned businesses nearby - it's the perfect location to start things off!
The gable-end wall in Tay Street Lane - looks like it needs some paint...
Who will be doing it?
We have two fantastic artists lined up - Kirsty Whiten and The Fandangoe Kid - who will be working on a collaboration together. Have a look at Kirsty's work here and The Fandangoe Kid's work here - also see below for some examples of murals they've done before.
Their design is currently being worked up, and will look at the role of matriarchy and the celebration of being true to yourself, owning your flaws and your story, and power in vulnerability. The design will draw inspiration from a collaborative project the two artists worked on together entitled "I am Not The Sum of My Trauma". The project sketchbook has been archived in Brooklyn Art Library, and available to view here for an idea of what the mural will be inspired by. Also have a look at the top of the page for a concept of the mural.
The design will be bright, bold and punchy, with a positive message. This, combined with the colours they use, will look amazing there, and really brighten up this corner of Dundee!
Murals by Kirsty Whiten
Murals by The Fandangoe Kid
When will it be done?
The artists will be in Dundee to paint from the 9th-15th July, so it’s coming soon! We then hope to hold a mural launch as soon as it's finished on the 15th July.
What are we asking for?
Local businesses and Dundee City Council are on board with the project – some, along with Leisure and Culture Dundee have already very kindly pledged funding. IAS scaffold and Dulux Decorator Centre have also been amazing and agreed to donate the scaffolding and paints.
This means that we only require part-funding for the mural, which will help pay for the artists fees - the amount we're trying to raise is £3000.
We also have some great rewards to say thank you for helping to fund the mural (other than having a new piece of public art to admire!) such as signed hi-res photos of the completed mural, original sketches and digital prints worked up during the concept design of the mural (see below for examples), and a private, personalised tour of street art in Dundee for you and your friends/family!
Your support means a great deal, and we’re massively grateful for anything you can contribute to help support this project – hopefully you want to see it happen as much as we do.
If you have any questions at all or would like to know more, please get in touch via email at [email protected]
Examples of concept sketch by Kirsty Whiten
Example of print by Kirsty Whiten and The Fandangoe Kid
This project successfully funded on 1st July 2019