Tamworth street art: artists Dan Bianco and Joanne Stead see potential for more mural art, Tamworth council has public art projects in works

The full-time mural artist said he saw plenty of potential for more outdoor, large-scale paintings after spending some time in Tamworth.

"I know what it does to the community ... it's so good for the soul," he said.

"Art can bring character to any space, to tell a story of the past, the present or the future or to raise awareness for an issue or even just to beatify streets."

READ ALSO:

Mr Bianco lives in Newcastle, where street art is rife.

"I was dumbfounded that there was not much around here - Tamworth has the infrastructure and the wall spaces," he said.

Local artist Joanne Stead said if she was to paint a mural, she'd love to work on adding a splash of colour to local water towers.

"It would be great for Tamworth to have little discoverable spots ... it would be great to have murals that reflect aspects of the diversity of the character of Tamworth and highlight some of the natural assets and Aboriginal heritage," she said.

Ms Stead said murals could send a message to the community about issues - like climate change and the decline of native species - while they soaked up the work.

"Of course I would love to see more murals around and I think there is potential and scope for it and I think council recognises that," she said.

Tamworth Regional councillor Juanita Wilson said there was already some great public art projects in the works.

"It's important for public art to be eclectic and stimulate conversation ... it creates a sense of belonging in the community," she said.

Cr Wilson told the Leader silos in the region had been prioritised for painting under a project endorsed by council, though progress was delayed by COVID-19.

She said murals could also add a touch of magic to some of the "interesting places" in the Tamworth CBD and help promote nightlife.

"The little laneway between Peel House and the town hall ... public art in there would create a great backdrop for pop-up events," she said.

Have your say. Click this link to send a letter to the editor

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: