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Preston mural artist Shawn Sharpe is not just making a name for himself – he’s on a mission to help others do the same, all while transforming the city’s cultural scene.
While demand for his work grew in the north west after he painted Mother on the side of Hogarths, success is about more than just personal gain for Shawn.
Now, after building his own career and reputation, Shawn is focused on creating opportunities to help ensure public art becomes a lasting part of the community.
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Through his Community Interest Company, Mural Makers, Shawn is launching a venue behind Church Street.
Mural Makers Graffiti and Street Art Academy has an indoor studio space and an exterior yard for spray painting. From there, Shawn will run workshops with schoolchildren and the general public.
Speaking to Blog Preston as we visited the new workshop, Shawn said: “We don’t keep artists in the city and there’s no real hub for mural art – but public art can help a culture grow, and that’s what I’m trying to do.
“Mother meant I created work for myself; now I want to help others make work for themselves too.”
Shawn originally looked at the new venue – which backs on to Wonderwall, formerly Barney’s Piano Bar – a couple of years ago.
After Blitz owner Pete Alexander bought the bar, Shawn negotiated to use half of the outdoor space for spray painting, and took the plunge with the lease.
Having worked as a professional artist for nine years, Shawn is in a prime position to help the next generation explore urban art as a legitimate form of creative expression.
“My hope is that kids who might not like general art could discover a love for spray painting,” he says.
Beyond workshops, Shawn wants Mural Makers to become a base for street artists in Preston – somewhere to meet like-minded people, buy supplies and potentially exhibit their work.
After recently securing funding for the Big Local Mural Project – which will see three new murals painted in Fishwick and St Matthew’s – Shawn launched a Spacehive crowdfunder, Spray It Forward, on Friday.
Part of this campaign aims at bolstering his offering with spray painting workshops for local community groups.
If successful, the crowdfunder would also see a new permanent mural created with artist Philth Blake on the wall of Limehouse that’s visible between The Market Tavern and Switch.
In addition, three local artists would be invited to create temporary murals on hoardings at The Vault, Preston’s soon-to-open Youth Zone.
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These aims point to a key part of Shawn’s vision – to expand the number of artists working in Preston, including inviting people from overseas.
Shawn smiles as he cites the example of a graffiti artist from New Zealand, who transformed the country’s scene by bringing in international talent to raise the standard of work.
“I wouldn’t be where I am without painting with people who are better than me,” Shawn says.
“Someone has to do it and, as there aren’t many artists in the city, it comes down to me.”
As we leave the workshop and walk along Church Street, Shawn points out wall after wall that would make perfect canvases for large-scale murals.
As well as seeing more professional work filling these spaces, Shawn dreams of legal walls for street art being designated across the city.
“There are 200 green spaces in Preston – that’s lots of opportunities for spots where kids could paint legally,” he says.
For now, Shawn has his head down juggling projects, securing funding, and working towards opening his space by April.
“This is just the start,” Shawn says. “Hopefully, the workshop will run itself one day, and I can go around the world painting murals.”
By taking this leap, it seems Shawn won’t just be changing his own future – he’ll be shaping the artistic future of Preston.
You can find out more about Shawn and his plans via the Spray It Forward crowdfunder on Spacehive and the Mural Makers Facebook page.
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This story was made possible by you, our readers, and a host of organisations in the city, through our Crowdfund Lancashire appeal, which unlocked support from the Lancashire Culture and Sport Fund provided by Lancashire County Council. You can see all our coverage and, if you know of an arts project or event in the city we should be covering, you can submit it for our event listings and/or send details to [email protected] for us to cover it as a story on the Blog.
