Shaking off blank spaces in city with famous mural artist

Instagram sensation Kelsey Montague, favoured by pop star Taylor Swift, commissioned to create Mill Street artwork

Taylor Swift’s favourite urban artist is finalising her plan to bring some street cred to Perth city centre.

Kelsey Montague is jetting into Scotland to start work on an eyecatching new mural on Mill Street.

The Instagram star has been commissioned by culture bosses to create a permanent artwork on the side of a four-storey building.

The 33-year-old, fresh from finishing a mural in Baltimore, told The Courier: “I have a few ideas for the wall, but I want to come and get a feel for the community before I make a final decision on the style and type.”

Kelsey, whose work has been displayed at the Smithsonian, confirmed the work would include a large pair of colourful wings, her trademark design which now features in cities across the world.

“I have never been to Perth before and I am so very excited to see it,” she said.

“Our ancestors on my grandfather’s side were Scottish.”

The work is part of the multi-millionpound City of Light project, which aims to illuminate landmark buildings and breathe new life into side streets and alleyways.

The local authority has now secured the advertising consent it needs to install the mural.

A spokesman for the planning department said: “The site is located in an area which has been subject to a substantial amount of change in recent years.

“It is part of the cultural quarter which has a fusion of traditional buildings and modern architecture.

“The vibrancy of the area has recently been increased through the siting of brightly-coloured bench seating and planters with contrasting flowers.

“The proposed mural would contribute to the further enhancement of this vibrancy.”

Kelsey’s popularity exploded earlier this year, when pop star Taylor Swift commissioned her to create a mural in Nashville.

Her work in Perth will be part of a new project called Perth Art-eries, with a logo designed by Wayne Hemingway.

It will complement an animated installation on another Mill Street building, designed by Scottish artists Elizabeth Ogilvie and Rob Page.

The council’s city development officer Alan Farnington said Kelsey’s mural will provide an “interactive, attraction for visitors, residents and workers”.

He said: “One of the biggest reasons behind Kelsey’s popularity among the younger generation is that she encourages them to express themselves on social media through her art.

“Kelsey has works displayed all over the world but, to date, no sites of permanent works in the UK.

“Subsequently, this provides Perth with an opportunity to be showcased, as well as her artwork.”

Kelsey Montague is an Instagram-famous mural artist whose vibrant works often feature butterfly wings. She was chosen to create the ME! mural in Nashville for pop star Taylor Swift, left, featuring a giant pair of wings, to promote the singer’s chart-topping single earlier this year.