York’s latest piece of street art has been unveiled – and the Lord Mayor has declared: “I’m overwhelmed!”
Called Return Of The Oaks, the mural has been created on Front Street by a creative team from York business Art Of Protest, inspired by input from the Acomb community.
The large artwork, covering a wall on the side of Snip Barber, was a long time in the planning and then a week in the creation.
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Mixing colourful geometric shapes with oak leaves and the silhouette of tree branches, it is a colourful and striking work.
It plays on the name Acomb, said to be Old English for ‘at the oak trees’, and the fact that the village was originally thought to have begun in an area filled with oaks.
Eight benches have also been painted with a leaf design from the local woodland.
At the opening ceremony this afternoon (Saturday), the Lord Mayor Cllr Margaret Wells, said: “I’m overwhelmed by the mural and also by the seating.
“It speaks volumes about community action and our interaction with nature and the power and importance of these issues to our lives and our wellbeing.
“They have really listened to what the community wanted, and that’s so important.
“Thank you, everybody. What a difference you have made by working together.”
Art Of Protest organised an extensive programme of engagement events and workshops to gather the views and ideas of the Acomb community and gained an understanding of what people would like to see.
Then designer Tom Jackson visualised the artwork.
Art of Protest creative director Jeff Clark told YorkMix: “This design then came together, we showed it to the people, they decided it was the picture for them.
“Our production then was delivering it over the last week. It’s been an exciting and wonderful journey.”
They ran a street art academy as part of this process, and a number of young people who took part were then selected to help paint the mural.
Acomb Cllr Katie Lomas said: “I’m so excited by it. It really pulls together all of the work that we’ve been doing in Front Street to make it a really vibrant and welcoming space.
“I’m really proud of being from Acomb. I’m proud to be a councillor for Acomb, I’m proud of this place, and I’m just glad that other people are seeing that as well now.”
This art project is part of the wider scheme to improve Front Street and create a more accessible, vibrant, people-friendly space.
City of York Council received £570,000 of UK Shared Prosperity Funding to deliver these phase 2 improvements, which include new seating and planters, improved Blue Badge parking, wide and level pedestrian crossings, wayfinding signs and upgraded public toilets.