Stobswell brought to life as murals spring up

Artwork appears on shopfronts and derelict buildings across Dundee community as OpenClose project branches out across the city

Shopfronts, hidden wonders and derelict buildings in a Dundee community have been brought to life by a group of street artists.

Throughout the past few months murals have been appearing across Stobswell as the OpenClose project branches out across the city.

Tours of the artwork painted outside shops on Albert Street, Lyon Street, Dura Street, Dens Road and the arches of the Victoria Bridge, will begin tomorrow.

A striking portrait of late Dundee musician Billy Mackenzie by Garry Milne is among the pieces to have captured the imagination.

An eye-grabbing artwork featuring locals queuing to get into Dens Road Market by Monty Nero, located within a doorway on the historic building itself, is another favourite.

The Dundee artist said it was important to “incorporate the local community” in the mural, his first piece of street art.

Monty said: “When I found out it was this door I changed my design quite a lot to reflect the local area and just make it so it’s like people queuing for the market.

“I’m talking to people every day as they come past and they’d say how much they liked all the street art and how much it brightened up the place, so I was putting bits of them into the painting like their clothes and just seeing how they reacted to it.”

There are plans for 20 murals in Stobswell, with 18 complete so far.

There are already a number of murals in Dundee city centre created during the first phase of the OpenClose initiative last year.

Earlier this week, Mary Ann Lane, beside the Seagate bus station, was designated as an outdoor gallery where anyone can paint on the alley walls.

OpenClose Dundee manager Russell Pepper said: “I am very pleased with the ones at Stobswell.

“Tonnes of people have been walking past the artists and chatting with them about it.

“There’s been a really big response to the Billy Mackenzie piece. A lot of his family still live in that area.

Almost all the artists involved in the Stobswell murals were from Dundee or the surrounding area, or have studied at the city’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design.

Mr Pepper said: “A lot of these guys might have done fine art and a lot of them don’t usually paint on the streets.”

He added that the project may branch out to Lochee or Hilltown next and would give visitors to the city the opportunity to explore the “real Dundee”.