Art / Bristol Mural Collective
Finding community on Bristol’s walls
The sun beams down on south Bristol’s Dean Lake Skate Park, its smooth structures forming willing canvases ready to be sprayed, splattered and smeared with life by a group of paintbrush-wielding women.
It’s a jubilant bank holiday and spirits are high as paint is mixed, music floats from a portable speaker and weekend stories are shared.
Members of Bristol Mural Collective (@bristolmuralcollective) have chosen this skatepark over the years as their canvas, one of the only places in Bristol where mural artists can legally paint.
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The collective was formed in 2019 during lockdown, by artist Rosa ter Kuile (@rtiiika) as a way to bring a sense of community to an often isolating and intimidating art form, with the ultimate aim of encouraging more women to take up space in a largely male-dominated street art scene.
Esme (left), Amy (middle) and Caroline (right) prep their murals on the first day of the April paint jam, a monthly occasion that can see up to 20 members join
Originally called Bristol Womxn Mural Collective, encompassing women and non-binary artists, the group soon outwore its name, renaming itself as Bristol Mural Collective in 2022 to open up the space to allies while still keeping the collective women-led and queer friendly.
Beginning as a humble Facebook group, the collective has since grown to over 500 people, with over 2,200 followers on Instagram and 20 to 30 active members who regularly participate in paint jams, meetings and socials.
Bristol Mural Collective’s growing popularity is buoyed by a unique openness, bringing a spirit of play, inclusivity and empowerment to their monthly paint jams.
The group is inclusive of all abilities, from well-established artists such as Rosa – you’ll find her work on everything from Bristol Beacon to Nike campaigns to Watershed’s Encounters Film Festival – to painting novices.
The group is co-designed and co-run by active members and there are no existing hierarchies within the collective apart from rotating voluntary roles of paint jam hosts, meeting chairs and project leaders.
The result is a hugely welcoming mix of people, with each session organised by a different member, like Fiona Finn Teo (@fyonafinn__), who has organised a number of the jams since Rosa stepped back from the group earlier this year.
The 32-year-old freelance multidisciplinary artist has designed their group’s logo and helped organise and chair meetings in Rosa’s absence.
“It’s one of the most wholesome and fun little communities to be a part of and I am constantly grateful for its existence,” Fiona told Bristol24/7.
“There is an abundance of brains and experiences to pick from, and everyone is so kind and willing to share – we all hate gatekeeping and it’s great.
“I gradually became more confident about my art over time just through painting and mingling with the collective; exchanging ideas, giving and receiving constructive feedback. A few of the members have since become great friends of mine.”
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Caroline Maggs (@Carolinem.artcreation) joined the group in 2021. After moving to Bristol during lockdown, Caroline found the group through Instagram. The St Werburgh’s-based artist works as a woman’s group coordinator for charities in Bristol, supporting those with trauma through art activities.
“Everyone has really different styles and skills,” said Caroline, as she traced the beginnings of colourful fauna on one of the skatepark’s walls.
“If it’s your first time, it’s really supportive. If you need help there are always people to help. Even people who are full time artists, there’s not a sense of ‘oh this is better’. It’s just everyone having fun.”
Esme Lower, (@esmelower) joined the group last year. She studied illustration at UWE Bristol before working as a digital artist in Bristol. The group has been instrumental in helping to build her confidence as a professional artist. Esme has since exhibited at globally-renowned street art festival, Upfest.
“There’s a good community here,” she says. “The group is really good for advice. You can ask how much you should charge.”
“A lot of us still have day jobs so it’s quite nice that we all come together and it’s reassuring that not everyone is a full time artist yet.
“If you’re constantly doing work by yourself you can get stuck in an Instagram hole, so it’s nice to have a great network of people.”
“You want to be paid fairly for the work that you do”
Esme isn’t alone in her efforts to build her credentials as a professional artist. Everyone at Bristol Mural Collective has a story to tell about breaking into the creative industry.
Despite a huge growth in demand for murals in Bristol – from pubs and bars to homes and parks – the profession is often not given the same level of recognition as traditional art forms.
“With murals you get this massive piece of art that you are always going to look at”
Jess Knights (@jessknights_creative) has worked hard to build her reputation in the city, after becoming an artist full time five years ago. But she’s often struggled to get businesses to see the value of her work.
“Imagine if you were a fine artist making a piece of work this large,” she says, gesturing to the mural she is working on at the latest paint jam.
“Imagine how much it would cost. You want to be paid fairly for the work that you do. I’ve had quite a lot of people chancing it. The people who are asking for these materials know the value we bring to their business.
“With murals you get this massive piece of art that you are always going to look at.”
Many members of Bristol Mural Collective use the paint jams as an opportunity to test their new ideas for commissions.
Nina Raines trained as a scenic painter at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, but found herself developing a distinctive style at each paint jam.
“I thought it was something for people doing it full time and who were established,” she said. “I was quite scared, but it’s super accessible. The collective has definitely helped me develop my style.”
Artist Katie Holland was one of the first members of the collective, and often uses the paint jams to prep for major commissions
Designer Katie Holloway has been to seven paint jams since it began, and was one of the original members of the collective. Her clients have since included the Tobacco Factory, Mark’s Bread and the Grain Barge.
Bristol Mural Collective isn’t the only street art group in Bristol. Resting Bitch Face or WOM Collective, for example, have created spaces for women working in graffiti.
But for members of Bristol Mural Collective, it’s the sense of community and openness that sets the collective apart from others.
“It feels more like an inviting play space for inexperienced painters to have a go at painting their first wall alongside experienced artists, instead of a crew of well established artists,” said Fiona.
“There aren’t any legal walls for us”
The paint jams haven’t always been smooth sailing however. It can be difficult to find legal walls to paint on in Bristol, and the police were once called to one of their paint jams.
Some members also feel a sense of hypocrisy from organisations like Bristol City Council, who have commissioned ‘official’ murals while spending thousands of pounds on removing ‘graffiti’ across the city through its street cleansing policy.
“How do you practise to get that commission if there are no legal walls?” asked Caroline. “I feel like it’s blocking a lot of artists from getting commissions because you can’t practise.
“Bristol makes so much money from tourists coming to see the city’s street art and people coming to see Banksy on street art tours, but there aren’t any legal walls for us,” said Caroline.
“Creating more legal walls would stop a lot of issues if the council gave artists legal walls to paint on.”
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Despite these hurdles, the collective has found a home in the fabric of Bristol, and has been largely welcomed with open arms by friends and communities that see the value each artists’ work brings to the city.
For artists like Fiona, the space has been instrumental in building her identity as an artist.
“I think Bristol Mural Collective serves as a starting point for artists to workshop their techniques and styles in a safe and nurturing environment amongst like-minds, before they move on or continue their work in the community as well as the industry,” Fiona said.
“At least that’s what it has been like for me, and I am eternally grateful for that.”
Bristol24/7’s summer 2023 magazine is being distributed to pick up free across our city
This is an unedited version of the article that originally appeared in Bristol24/7’s quarterly magazine
All photos: Simon Holliday
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