A LEGAL art wall will be created in Melksham as part of a pilot scheme to allow graffiti artists to showcase their talent without vandalising property.
The new art wall will be located at the underpass on the A350 Bath Road. A newly-formed local community arts group will oversee the day-to-day running of the wall, including maintaining and cleaning the artwork. Wiltshire Council, which is running the project, will continue to manage and monitor the wall.
Cllr Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Highways and Street Scene, said, “Graffiti is a longstanding antisocial issue across the country, and so we’re pleased to be able to trial this legal art wall in Melksham, with the hope it can be a success to roll out into other areas of the county. The aim is to both reduce illegal and unsightly graffiti and to give local artists a legal outlet to share their talents. We’ve spoken to other authorities, mostly in urban areas, that have trialled similar projects, and they have seen a fall in illegal graffiti, along with increased engagement with the community, and we hope we can do the same here in Wiltshire. We hope to see some fantastic artwork showcased on the wall once it launches later this year – along with a decrease in illegal graffiti in Melksham during the coming months,” he added.
Artists will supply their own materials and the council say they will step in to remove any inappropriate artwork if necessary.
