The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

A NEW concept is sweeping through the streets of inner city communities throughout New Providence and local art enthusiasts are excited about its long-term effects.

Mural paintings, with a view to uplifting, drawing tourist attention and giving inner city children something positive to do, is a project underway and is being facilitated by the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas (NAGB).

On Saturday, the first in series of murals was started at the corner of Lewis Street on the old cinema wall. The wall is about 10 feet high. Kevin Basden pledged the initial funds for the mural.

Slime, a local artist, said his part was to first sketch and later paint a street sweeper against a background of natural scenery. He said more community outreach projects should be a priority.

“This should be something done in other inner city communities to lighten up the areas and get the kids involved so that they have something positive to do,” Slime said. “The sad part is whenever there are murals painted the artists aren’t usually Bahamians. So there needs to be more of a focus on the local artists.”

When the project is completed, such iconic figures as Pompey, Dr Martin Luther King Jr and Sir Sydney Poitier will be among those displayed.

Valentino “Scrooge” Brown, a community activist, said the project was expected to be a turning point for the inner city, which is plagued with social ills.

He said: “We are building a village inside the community because right now there is no employment for the average Bahamian in the community. So the idea is to integrate tourism and to let the community know who the great leaders were. Those like Dr King, who visited here for three days, and Marcus Garvey. Just to enlighten people that these men fought for our rights.”

Following the Lewis Street mural, other pictures will be painted at Hay and Taylor Streets.