Waterford Walls is an International Street Art Festival based in Waterford, Ireland. Now in its 8th year, the Festival ran from the 12th – 21st August 2022. This years festival welcomed 30 national and international artists across the 10 days and transformed 30 walls with an array of wonderful coloured murals. Creative Ireland supported the Waterford Walls 2022 Festival by funding three murals in the City, along with the ACT Waterford Climate Action mural in Ballybeg Waterford.
ACT Waterford, the Walls Project and Bloom the Art Project worked collaboratively with the local community in Ballybeg to examine domestic energy use and efficiency. Over four weeks they ran workshops with local residents, finalised the design and created a wall of colour during the week of the festival. ‘The Key message: At Home Energy Conservation – working as an individual and community to combat climate change!’
ACT Waterford Ballybeg mural. Photographer Gringo Pictures.
During the pandemic Brown’s Road Library in Lisduggan Waterford closed its doors for over a year. It was much missed in the local community. To celebrate the re-opening Waterford Libraries asked Waterford Walls to create a wraparound mural on the building for inclusion in the Waterford Walls Festival 2022. The response to the mural has been very enthusiastic.
The mural was designed and created by two artists, French street artist Zabou and Irish based illustrator and mural artist Juliette Viodé and features a young boy, Senan, with a character from his favourite book ‘The Little Prince’.
Waterford Walls mural of Senan and his favourite book, ‘The Little Prince’. Browns Road Library. Photographer Ana Moretti.
The mural has really highlighted the library and improved both the building itself and the surrounding area. Many library members have commented on how much the mural has lifted the area, providing colour and generating a lot of buzz. The mural was featured in the Waterford News & Star newspaper along with all the other fantastic murals in the Waterford Walls Festival.
no.12 Bridge Street Apartments mural. Photographer Gringo Pictures
Two more wall murals supported by Creative Ireland Waterford at the festival were on no. 11 and no. 12 Bridget St, Waterford. The aim was to brighten up the Bridge St area and to involve the local residents in the design process. The two murals were designed and created by Dublin based French visual artist Claire Prouvost and UK based artist Sophie Mess.
no.11 Bridge Street mural. Photographer Gringo Pictures
To create the mural on 12 Bridge St, the Walls Project carried out workshops with the residents of the building so that the design was a collaboration between the artist and the residents.
For more information on the Waterford Walls Festival check out the website here, where you can view a map to locate all the murals created in 2022.
Close up of Bridge Street Mural. Photographer Gringo Pictures
Waterford Walls mural of Senan and his favourite book, ‘The Little Prince’. Browns Road Library. Photographer Ana Moretti.
Creating the mural at Ballybeg Waterford. Photographer Gringo Pictures