By ‘Paint The Town Proud’ celebrates the rich heritage of Grimsby!
‘Paint The Town Proud!’ is a Grimsby heritage project, as part of the Grimsby Creates program, funded by the Arts Council England.
The project is run by Creative Start, based in Grimsby, featuring and collaborating with local partners and artists.
The first mural started to form as artist Andy Pea began work on the side of Little Oaks Nursery, Corporation Road. Andy, a Hull-based artist, specialises in Heritage projects and fishing heritage. He is currently working on the Fishing Heritage mural on the side of the premises.
The entire project will see large-scale murals around Grimsby, celebrating its heritage and culture. The current mural is a West Marsh-focused piece, and organisers hope to draw attention to the story of the location and the mural itself.
Tanya from Little Oaks Nursery was approached by Andy after he noticed the side of the building during his walk around the area.
“We were approached by Paint the Town Proud and we felt it was really important to keep the heritage of Grimsby alive.
“Being part of the West Marsh, it was paramount that we reminded people of what Grimsby is all about. It was important to have an iconic building such as the dock tower put on the wall.
“For me and my family, it really needed to be done. We’ve had great feedback, mainly from the general public. It’s nothing to do with the business behind, but everything to do with Grimsby.” she said.
Speaking about his work and involvement in the project, artist Andy Pea said:
“I’ve been involved in the project since its conception, it’s a heritage project, it’s about creating murals around the town.
“I was wandering around the town trying to get to know the place, I was walking down the road and came across this wall, I thought it was crying out for the mural.
“I approached Tanya about the idea, she was fantastic and fell for the idea. I paint them for the community, that’s my whole ethos. We did community engagement at the West Marsh community centre.
“I got to know about the history of the area, also a lot about the fishing. The design is all Grimsby iconic images from the fishing industry, particularly the 60s and 70s. I had no idea of the scale.
“I found this image of the Ross Zebra steaming home, it fits the premises perfectly. We have the men hauling the nets, it’s like a story in the round, no matter where you are it tells you the story. It activates stories in people, generationally, it’s a way of passing on heritage and storytelling, keeping the memories alive.
“It’s about heritage, storytelling, and keeping part of Grimsby’s heritage and tradition alive,” he said.
Becky Darnell, from The Culture House, spoke further about the work, and the exciting developments going forward.
“Paint the Town Proud is a Grimsby heritage project, we are featuring and collaborating with lots of local partners and artists.
“After this mural, we will be going into the town centre with a leading artist called Jake Clone, he will be doing a piece in the town centre.
“We have an exciting piece on the East Marsh, with local artist Dale Mackie, which will be a dedication to the heritage of the high street, the East Marsh Emporium.
“Keep an eye on our social media channels for updates, we have exhibitions and workshops and also work with local artists,” she said.
