Street artists in Bendigo will unite in August to return colour to the Williamson Street underpass on the Back Creek Walk.
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The Project Underpass artwork had been covered with tagging and offensive messages, prompting action from the street artists and the City of Greater Bendigo.
Street artist Reece Hendy, who was one of four artists to originally create Project Underpass, said a call out for a Paint Jam on August 10 had seen 25 artists sign up.
"Williamson Street bridge copped a fair bit of tagging and few offensive messages, which is pretty undesirable," Mr Hendy said. "Someone from the city said 'what can we do'?
"They wanted to pressure wash (the tags) off but that would affect the whole design. So Maree Tonkin (from council) got in touch.
"It was bit too far gone (to salvage) and had seen better days. So a suggestion to repaint and get others involved came up.
"If we do it as a group, more people can take pride and not vandalise it."
Mr Hendy hoped the Paint Jam event would lead to more spaces being opened up to artists but said it wasn't solely up to council to simply provide spaces.
"It's also up to artists to prove (themselves), show there's an interest and advocate for (more spaces)," he said.
"We can't just say 'hey, give us a wall', it's up to public artists and street artists to prove we are out out there and can do positive things."
The street artist community has their eyes on some locations around the city that could be used as a public street art space.
"A lot of the cycling and creek walk underpasses are perfect," Mr Hendy said. "They have been the catalyst (for a growing street art scene).
"Hopefully underpasses at Lake Weeroona and McIvor Road can be fully incorporated (into Project Underpass).
"There's also an underpass (under High Street) in Golden Square, which would be awesome space to start something that is slightly hidden to start with before (we go) more public.
"The trick is if we want a legal wall, people can't paint outside of that. Some people don't respect boundaries and paint old cobble stone walls. You have to ask if that is our fault or would it happen anyway?"
Mr Hendy said the eagerness of street and graffiti artists to restore the underpass and find new spaces to create work on shows a growing street art community.
"Obviously street art is a growing scene (in Bendigo), more people are becoming interested," he said.
"Whether it is graffiti writers or street artists looking for spaces to paint, an event like this shows there is huge market for it that isn't being addressed.
"There are some people (in city) that are interested in it. The Creative Communities Department are very supportive of everything we try to do but as a whole, I'm not sure everyone completely understands it.
"It would take more events like this to raise awareness in a positive way."
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