Graffiti project tackles Peninsula

The Gosford Graffiti Art Project, which is part of the NSW Premier's Student Volunteering Awards, has gathered a team of people together for another project tackling graffiti on the Peninsula.

The NSW Premier's Student Volunteering Awards gives students an opportunity to serve their community, to acquire new skills and to meet new people.

Gosford Graffiti Art Project coordinator Mr Charlie Trivers and his assistants, along with students from Brisbane Water Secondary College Umina campus, have been designing and painting a mural on Coopers store wall that forms a laneway from West St to the car park behind the shops.

The team has also been involved in the beautification of a dry cleaner's shop in Ettalong and another mural on a shop in West St, Umina.

The mural for Coopers was designed by the students from Brisbane Water Secondary College and depicts some of items for sale in the Coopers store itself.

The Coopers mural, which was started on Tuesday, March 6, is expected to take approximately one month to complete.

Mr Trivers enlisted the help of art students in Years 7, 8 and 9 from Brisbane Water Secondary College with teacher Ms Lea Lawler from the college coordinating the 11 art students.

"The idea behind community murals is to minimise graffiti tagging, so that graffiti vandals do not seem to be attracted to leaving their tag on them," said Mr Trivers.

"The mural is a great example of collaborative community spirit.

"The people who are producing the mural are working with the community and with the shopkeepers.

"Repainting the wall every couple of months after it is trashed with graffiti is a time-consuming and expensive exercise for Gosford Council."

Media Release, 11 Mar 2013

Tullia Price, Department of Education