National Art Gallery (NAGB)
Livable Neighbourhoods Mural Competition
By NAGB
Sep 22, 2008 - 8:06:34 PM

The  National Art Gallery is working in collaboration with the Livable Neighbourhoods Community Project to paint positive murals and plant trees in our city parks and schools. We are starting with the Marathon community and hopefully will move into Kemp Road and other areas where groups may want to develop the same project.

The Livable Neighbourhoods Mural Competition Committee is coordinating a Mural Competition and Paint-Up designed to transform our neighbourhoods from graffiti-ridden, blighted environments to aesthetically pleasing walls, parks, and school buildings.

Our committee is comprised of educators, the Curator of the National Art Gallery, artists, business persons and civic minded individuals along with the Royal Bahamas Police Force and other government agencies as well as graffiti artists and community residents.

The project combines mural painting and tree planting at each venue selected based on need. For example, Claridge Primary School expended nearly $40,000.00 in labour and supplies to repaint the school walls more than four times during the last school year.

The research both in The Bahamas and abroad shows consistently positive results when graffiti is replaced with murals, and many mural projects on New Providence remain untouched after thirty years.  The Oakes Field Primary School murals were painted by art teacher Jackie Elias who left the Bahamas some 35 years ago and the mural remains a wonderful reminder of the fine work her students completed.

The National Art Gallery has selected Alan Wallace as the artistic coordinator of this effort. Alan is a young Bahamian artist, who began his career with graffiti, and is now the proud designer and painter of a mural at the National Gallery.  He will work with other graffiti artists (identified by the police) as well as students from COB, other schools and community residents on these mural projects.

We anticipate that the project will expand across the island and later include sidewalk murals and private sector mural projects as well.

The winning theme of the first mural design is: "Livable Neighbourhoods are Clean, Crime-free, Safe and Green" and will be announced at a press conference at the Lou Adderley Park on Claridge Road on Wednesday, September 24, at 1.30 pm. The painting of the mural on the walls of the Lou Adderley Park will commence on Saturday, September 27, 2008 at 8 am.

We invite Gallery members and supporters, art students, church groups, neighborhood residents and civic organizations to come out and make a difference in our country through the beauty and power of Art.

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