Great Article in the Westender newspaper.
Nick Gregson is a 32-year-old mural artist from East Vancouver. He volunteers with the city on the Arts and Culture Policy Council and does community outreach by teaching art techniques to youth. He currently has about 10 murals around Metro Vancouver, and is working with the city to have more public art spaces available.
A mural Nick Gregson did for India Gate restaurant. - Contributed photo
"I think there needs to be space set up for all types of art,” Gregson says. "There needs to be a place for tags, a place for [graffiti], and a place for murals.”
Gregson thinks that the city’s attitude to public art is improving, thanks to city-funded projects such as the mural festival, and he encourages people who have ideas about public art to contact him so he can bring them into future meetings.
"Street art has come a long way. That term wasn't even around before,” he recalls. "I think that the society is a different age group now and [millennials] are starting to take over. I think that our age group identified with this type of art.”
Gregson agrees that the city needs to have more sanctuary areas for artists to work, like the walls at Leeside. He thinks that having more free walls will cut down on the number of murals being tagged. He also believes that businesses over a certain size with free wall space should be required by the city to have public art.
"I think [public art] gives artists a voice, and it reflects the culture of the city,” he says.
The walls at Leeside Skatepark are some of the only free walls in the city. - Dan Toulgoet photo
It also provides an outlet.
"People do graffiti for a lot of different reasons, I think. A lot of people are just angry at society and want to do some vandalism, and that's the way they get their voice heard,” Gregson explains. "It's great because I'm kind of a quiet person, so it's a good way for me to express myself.”
A mural Nick Gregson did for India Gate restaurant. - Contributed photo
"I think there needs to be space set up for all types of art,” Gregson says. "There needs to be a place for tags, a place for [graffiti], and a place for murals.”
Gregson thinks that the city’s attitude to public art is improving, thanks to city-funded projects such as the mural festival, and he encourages people who have ideas about public art to contact him so he can bring them into future meetings.
"Street art has come a long way. That term wasn't even around before,” he recalls. "I think that the society is a different age group now and [millennials] are starting to take over. I think that our age group identified with this type of art.”
Gregson agrees that the city needs to have more sanctuary areas for artists to work, like the walls at Leeside. He thinks that having more free walls will cut down on the number of murals being tagged. He also believes that businesses over a certain size with free wall space should be required by the city to have public art.
"I think [public art] gives artists a voice, and it reflects the culture of the city,” he says.
The walls at Leeside Skatepark are some of the only free walls in the city. - Dan Toulgoet photo
It also provides an outlet.
"People do graffiti for a lot of different reasons, I think. A lot of people are just angry at society and want to do some vandalism, and that's the way they get their voice heard,” Gregson explains. "It's great because I'm kind of a quiet person, so it's a good way for me to express myself.”
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