(Image: Adam Kennedy)
A new landmark public artwork has been unveiled in the North East as a creative education provider prepares to open its new campus in the region next month.
The 30-foot mural, located on St James' Boulevard, was created by internationally recognised North East artists Jimmy Turrell and Peter Manning, also known as Prefab77.
It adds a bold splash of colour to the city centre and now forms the backdrop to the soon-to-launch LMA Newcastle campus.
A striking 30-foot mural by renowned North East artists Jimmy Turrell and Prefab77 has been unveiled on St James’ Boulevard in Newcastle ahead of the opening of a new creative education campus next month.
(Image: Adam Kennedy)
Commissioned through Creative Central Newcastle, the project is part of a wider partnership with LMA as the creative educator prepares to welcome students to its new home in September.
Deni Chambers, principal of LMA Newcastle, said: "We absolutely love it.
"It's bold, creative and has a real Newcastle edge to it, and to see the finished piece here alongside our new campus makes September suddenly feel very close.
From left: Prefab77, Vix Leaney, Jimmy Turrell, Deni Chambers
(Image: Adam Kennedy)
"We said from the beginning that LMA wasn’t coming to Newcastle simply to open a building.
"We want to become part of the creative community that already exists here, support it and hopefully add something new to it.
"Working with Creative Central and two incredible artists in Jimmy and Prefab77 is a perfect example of that."
The mural transforms a previously overlooked gable end wall and is intended to reflect the creativity, character, and transformation of an area quickly becoming one of Newcastle’s most prominent creative quarters.
A striking 30-foot mural by renowned North East artists Jimmy Turrell and Prefab77 has been unveiled on St James’ Boulevard in Newcastle ahead of the opening of a new creative education campus next month.
(Image: Adam Kennedy)
It’s the latest in more than 30 pieces of street art and public interventions commissioned by Creative Central Newcastle across the city centre during the past two years.
Vix Leaney, project manager at Creative Central Newcastle, said: "This mural is a brilliant example of what the wider Creative Central programme is all about.
"We want to create opportunities for artists and creatives to make their mark on Newcastle and to ensure that people working in the sector can find meaningful, paid opportunities here in the region.
"Having LMA arrive in this part of the city adds another important piece to that story."
LMA will offer industry-led degree courses in music, performance, music production, musical theatre, acting, dance, film & tv production and business.
Students will benefit from practical experience, live projects and direct connections into industry.
The mural represents LMA’s wider ambition to embed itself within the existing creative community before doors officially open.
Jimmy Turrell described the project as deeply personal.
Mr Turrell said: "It’s always special creating work in Newcastle.
"You approach a piece differently when it’s somewhere you know, somewhere you walk past and somewhere that’s part of your own city.
"There’s a lot happening creatively in Newcastle at the moment and it feels like people are recognising that more and more.
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"Hopefully this piece adds something to that and becomes part of the area as it continues to develop."
Peter Manning, known as Prefab77, said: "Jimmy and I both have international careers, but we’re from and based in this region, so having opportunities to create work like this here really matters.
"Public art can completely change the way people see a space.
"This was a fairly anonymous wall before and now it has an identity.
"That’s the exciting thing about projects like this.
"They can make people stop, look and think differently about an area."
LMA Newcastle is due to officially open this September.