Open Close Dundee Street Art Tours

Around Dundee, January 6, February 3, March 3, April 7, May 5

Discover artwork hidden down the lanes, closes and alleyways of Dundee with a series of exciting and informative guided tours.

Led by Russell Pepper, the creator of Open Close Dundee – a street art project which transformed some of the city’s shop fronts and doorways with murals and works of art last year – tours last 90 minutes and take in 18 artworks.

“They’re all hidden away, so you’ll get to experience a different side of Dundee,” said Russell.

“Tours start at 10am on the first Saturday of each month and we meet at the penguin statues on the Nethergate.

“I’ll explain how the trail was made, offer information about the artists and a bit about the history of the closes.

“People are free to just turn up but it helps if they get in touch and let us know they’re coming.”

The tours are run on a “pay what you think it’s worth” basis, with proceeds going towards creating more artwork.

Russell said the idea behind the Open Close project was to brighten up grim areas and encourage people to explore and appreciate what Dundee has to offer. On Couttie’s Wynd, artwork includes an eye-catching kingfisher spray-painted by Paco Graff, a gull painted by C.gull, and a mesmerising representation of Van Gogh’s Starry Night by Syke.

Meanwhile, on Sugarhouse Wynd, Detroit collective Thing Thing have painted a striking blaze of surreal colours and shapes.

Other buildings prettified include PDQ on Meadowside, the Butterfly Cafe on Commercial Street, and a pend behind the Bank of Scotland building on High Street.

“These really are fascinating parts of the city which are often overlooked and we wanted to change that,” said Russell.

“With a guided tour you have more insight into the project, can ask any questions, and make connections.”

It’s an exciting time for Open Close as the organisation just received £6,000 of funding to rejuvenate up to 20 doors in Stobswell.

The project received £4,500 from the Stobswell Regeneration Forum, while the NHS Community Innovation Fund provided £1,500.

“When we created Open Close, the initial idea was to go into communities where improvements are needed, such as Hilltown, Lochee, and of course, Stobswell,” said Russell.

“We want to highlight prominent locations, such as a chip shop that has been in the area for more than 100 years.

“We really hope to bring people in not just from Dundee, but from outside the city, to different communities. It’ll be especially important when the V&A opens. We want people to see there’s more to Dundee than the Waterfront.”

openclosedundee.co.uk/tours/

Picture: Kris Miller. Russell Pepper with the maps.