COP a load of this art attack
INTERNATIONAL guests visiting the city’s West End this week will be delighted by a new COP26 themed mural created by clever primary pupils. Youngsters at Hillhead Primary worked hand-in-hand with artist Tragic O’Hara to design the masterpiece on Gibson Street.
As previously reported, the school had urged Glasgow City Council to grant permission for the artwork to go ahead on Gibson Street in a bid to transform the “grim corner” into a legacy for the hard-working children. The piece features an array of wildlife, including a frog, ladybird and bumblebee, as well as a rainbow and sunshine in a bid to promote biodiversity – a topic pupils have recently been learning about in the classroom.
In a statement issued to his social media pages, the artist said: “I made a video which was shared with all the young people about creating a vision for their wall. I got way over 100 pieces of work sent back and it turned into this.
“The idea behind the wall is if we don’t look after what we’ve got then what will young people draw? All I did growing up was draw animals and stuff so if we don’t start thinking about the places we live then all we’ll have to look at is drawings and not the real thing. This was a massive amount of work taken on by the parent council and the local community and I want to say a huge thanks for all your hard work and for getting me involved.” Members of the parent council planned to have the mural painted during the school term to allow pupils to be involved in the process. It’s now hoped it will catch the eye of high profile visitors who will descend on the city in the coming days ahead of the UN summit, which will kick off tomorrow, with the likes of President Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Greta Thunberg due to attend.
Depute headteacher Karen Barclay said: “It’s lovely for us to be involved in a legacy across from the school, it’s a lovely legacy, and a reminder of the times.
Noy Basu, parent council secretary, added: “It’s got them realising their ideas can be translated into something that can uplift the environment.”
If we don’t look after what we’ve got, then what will kids draw?