The Grand-Pier de resistance is unveiled as Inkie, My Dog Sighs, Lucas Antics, Martin Darcy and more are announced as the 2023 Weston Wallz street artists 

Bringing unique murals to Weston-super-Mare, Upfest’s Weston Wallz, returns to the iconic seaside town from May 24 – June 4 2023. In partnership with Weston-Super-Mare Town Council, Culture Weston and supported by Arts Council England, this year will see brand new artworks adding to the already colourful landscape, with local artist Acerone hosting workshops throughout the half-term.

Large-scale murals will be painted live on Weston’s Wallz by local and national artists. Behind these one-of-a-kind designs will be 18 Upfest artists bringing their own style and flare to a variety of buildings in the town. Adding to the mural trail for 2023 this May is Katie Scott, Peachzz, Inkie, My Dog Sighs, Lucas Antics, Sarah Dicks, Samo, Squirl, Will Barras, Faye Suzannah, Mishfit, Molly Mural, Ejits, Acerone, Mr Draws and Martin Glover who’ll also be leading British Sign Language (BSL) street art tours later in June.

Taking over Weston’s iconic Oxford Corner Café side wall is legendary street artist Inkie. Having travelled the world from Miami to Tokyo, Weston-super-Mare is set to welcome this street art legend and get a signature Inkie piece. His trademark graphic lettering and figures in profile style make his murals trademark masterpieces. As an in-house artist and designer, Inkie gathers inspiration from Mayan architecture, William Morris, Alfons Mucha and Islamic geometry.

Another artist coming to add to Weston’s ever-growing street art portfolio is internationally acclaimed My Dog Sighs. Pushing the boundaries of urban contemporary art with sculpture, paint and immersive sound and light.

Bringing colour to the CJ Curious is artist, designer and trans rights activist Sarah Dicks. Her love of colour, surrealism and sticking eyes on anything and everything is what makes her murals stand out and it will be the perfect addition to Weston Wallz.

Bristol favourite, Lucas Antics, also known as Alex Lucas is a muralist with a beautifully quirky and humorous style. Their designs can be seen all over walls and buildings across the UK and beyond.

The Weston walls and buildings getting the Upfest street art treatment include The Savoy Hotel, Laser Quest Weston, Weston Super Frames, The Stable, The Loft, Locking Road Car Park and Boro Social Club with more walls to come.

A new feature coming to this year’s Weston Wallz is free Artist Workshops run by Bristol’s own street artist Acerone and supported and funded by Arts Council England. These one-hour sessions are free to attend and include a creative introduction to the graffiti subculture and attendees can create their own name art in graffiti style on a board that they can take home. Holding these sessions is Luke Palmer (Acerone), who has over 20 years of experience working with youth and community groups. Using art, creativity and hip-hop culture as a way to celebrate freedom of self-expression, the workshops are suitable for ages nine and above. Workshops are free-to-attend, with booking still required for limited spaces.

Upfest co-founder, Stephen Hayles, said: “Together, we’ve created a brilliant new street art trail in Weston-super-Mare and the support we get from the community is incredible which is why we can’t wait to be back! We’ve had a fantastic two years in Weston already, and this year with the addition of workshops it gives people and families another way to get involved in the action. We’ve got some amazing artists lined up, so make sure you come out to see them live painting, and we’ll see you there, Weston!”

Malcolm Nicholson, Town Clerk said: “The Town Council is extremely proud to have initiated this project, now in its 3rd Year to enhance Weston-super-Mare. The works to date have been greatly received by both residents and visitors to the town. Heritage, arts and culture is an important part of the Town Council’s strategy and we look forward to once again working with Steve and the team at Upfest in 2023 alongside our other community partners at Culture Weston who help support this fantastic project”.

Tom Newman, Culture Weston Programmer said: “Weston Wallz has continued to build on the growing popularity and reputation for incredible street art in the town and we’re beyond thrilled to see its return to the seafront for 2023. It’s rewarding for the entire community, and bringing even more murals and adding to our cultural landscape is another great reason to draw in new and returning visitors.”

An interactive Google Map is available to easily identify the murals and witness the transformation of ordinary walls to town landmarks.

Tickets for workshops can be booked over on the Eventbrite website. To keep up to date with artist announcements and location reveals, you can follow Weston Wallz on Twitter and Instagram or visit the Upfest website for more information. Further details will be available at www.cultureweston.org.uk and https://wsm-tc.gov.uk.