Belgrave has long been known as the home of Puffing Billy and the Winter Solstice Lantern Festival. It now boasts a new drawcard; the graffiti and street art project in Blacksmiths Way.
Starting at the northern end, behind Benson’s café, the project spans several hundred metres running alongside the train line and behind many Belgrave institutions including Babaji’s Indian and Cameo Cinema.
There are full scale illustrative works, stencils and installation pieces by more than 50 artists and more are currently being added every week.
But it isn’t just graffiti. There are miniature vignettes, including a range of lego installations, that littles especially enjoying hunting for. Yarn bombing has also occurred with posts being decorated and crocheted and knitted pieces being attached to the chain link fence.
The graffiti street art project in Blacksmiths Way stands out for its unique youth-centric approach. The project aims to provide a platform for budding talents to showcase their skills and channel their creative energy into something meaningful. It serves as an inspiring example of how the youth can lead positive change in their communities.
The project is now even spreading beyond the laneway with this colourful piece recently appearing at the entrance to the public toilets (which strangely are basically open air, right in the midst of the shopping strip).
Happy council is encouraging local youths to take part in a local project and do legal work were they live. These young people are local residents too – just spreading a bit of colour : ) Heaps worse things they could be doing locally