The Morecambe town centre will be getting a graffiti makeover to pay tribute to the storied past of the resort. As part of the ‘Victoria Street Press’ project, artists will be painting and drawing on the side of the buildings facing Victoria Street with the former ‘Vic’ pubic house currently chosen as the site of the first artwork. Work already began last week by Morecambe artist Kate Drummond (Sundae) and Faunagraphic and Rocket01, two graffiti artists from Sheffield. The three were working on a painting called ‘The Sands and Seas’ which has been described as bright and bold.
The project is being coordinated by Deco Publique and Elena Gifford from the same company stated that they’ve already received very positive responses from many people who’ve passed by and happy to see that things are happening in the area.
The whole project will consist of artworks that are designed to relate a tale of the town’s heritage and the artworks will be made by artists from London, Kendal, Manchester and Sheffield in addition to Morecambe’s own local artists. Between February and March, a total of six artworks will be put up on the builds that are on Victoria Street, assuming that the weather will also be favourable.
After the current piece, the next artwork will be designed to pay tribute to the fairground in Morecambe and also its heritage in illuminations. This particular art piece will be done on the former St Laurence’s Church’s windows. The work on the church’s window is scheduled to begin in a week’s time according to Shane Johnstone an artist from Morecambe.
Morecambe’s own motorcycle ace John McGuiness will not be forgotten during this painting of the town’s past. A mural to acknowledge his many deeds and achievements will be done by Ben Tallon, an illustrator from London. This particular piece of art will be going on the side of Colin Brown hairdressers. The Portas Pilot Project is the group funding the Victoria Street Press.
Coincidentally, the project comes at a time when several other projects are also taking shape in Morecambe. On the same Victoria Street, the office that once housed the Visitor newspaper is currently being renovated with the intention of transforming it into a centre of excellence for the visually impaired and blind. The Lancaster City Council is also currently upgrading nearby public spaces and streets.