A Laverton-based program is helping street artists find legal places to practise their art and brighten the urban landscape.
Started by artist Katherine Dine in 2008, the Street SmART project offers fortnightly workshops at the Woods Street Art Space. The workshops are a way for artists aged 13 to 25 to express themselves and stay on the right side of the law, according to mentor Danny Grmusa, of Point Cook.
“The whole thing is to try to guide kids towards trying to get paid work or just get walls and build up their self-esteem and continue their art on the right of the tracks, not defacing people’s properties.
“We’re just trying to encourage them to take the next step.”
Artists are taught how to transform humble sketches into a mural.
“We start with their breakdown of sketching and filling-in and preparing to do a larger-scale mural,” Grmusa says.
One of his own murals, on a wall at the corner of Railway Avenue and Epsom Street, shows how street art is improving the aesthetics of Laverton.
“It’s just trying to add a bit of brightness around the area, and it reflects the bay as well.”
For more details about the program, phone 0423 089 303 or email streetsmartonline@gmail.com.
