I’ve been lucky enough to lead two tours of an amazing street mural art trail happening just up the road in Ashford.
Unframed is Ashford Borough Council’s very laudable attempt to cheer up an historic market town which suffers many of the same ailments affecting town centres today - boarded up shops, neglected buildings and deprivation.
Many of the artists have donated their work for free including the very admirable Mr Doodle who hails from the town and paid for the cherry picker, 70 cans of paint and all the licence fees to decorate an ugly 60s eyesore of a carpark with his biggest artwork to date.
Street artist Voyder even created a wonderful tribute to his friend Sam aka Mr Doodle in an alleyway formerly known as ‘Wee Alley.’
Facing Mr Doodle, is Charley Peters vibrant go faster striped walls that disappear around the corner and Aspire’s beautiful kingfishers.
Aspire’s use of pixels warns that if we don’t look after our environment, all we may be left with is images of wildlife.
It was refreshing to see that many of the artists’ work runs along the same theme of appreciating nature before it disappears and inspiring future custodians, such as Curtis Hylton’s amazing Flamboyant Fawn, a nod to the missing bronze deer from Victoria Park’s Hubert Fountain.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from the two tours I’ve done so far. All of the people, bar a few, are from Ashford, and think the trail is wonderful and much needed to cheer up their town.
Unframed is on until April 16. If you can go along, please do. I guarantee you will come away with a smile on your face. Alternatively you can come along for a tour with me on Thursday, April 13 from 2pm meeting outside Ashford Station.
There are Easter trail maps available for kids to spot the various egg-shaped artworks on the way round.
Hope you have a lovely Easter.
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The power of street murals to focus attention on nature
I love this!