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Painting Bristol by Numbers: 650

Renaissance-inspired Paint Jam celebrates Bristol’s 650th anniversary.

14/07/2023

 

Various shop fronts on Queen’s Road and the Triangle hosted Renaissance Paint Jam, a street art event with a difference from 20 -23 July, with street artists taking inspiration from Bristol’s 650th anniversary to decorate windows throughout the area, together with a new installation on Broad Quay. 

This new outdoor art exhibition demonstrates techniques and styles from the renaissance period, updated on a huge scale by 10 street artists. The project was curated by the organisers of Bristol’s world famous street art festival Upfest, to celebrate the masters from the past as part of a year-long celebration of all things Bristol: who we are, where we come from, what we’ve done – and where we’re going.   

The project is led by Bristol City Centre BID, working with levy payers throughout the area to bring art to the windows on one of Bristol’s most iconic areas.  

 

Artists including street painting legend Inkie, Bedminster-based illustrator Will Cross, expert copywriter TOZER, colourful painter Georgie Webster, fine art inspired Andrew Burns Colwill, multi-medium creator Rose Popay, mural artist Martin D’Arcy and street art expressionist Cheba took to the streets across four days to paint masterpieces of all shapes and sizes. Visitors can enjoy the new outdoor exhibition over the summer months.  

explore the artists

Bristol 650 marks 650 years since King Edward III granted important rights and privileges to Bristol by royal charter in 1373. As a permanent installation to commemorate this milestone anniversary, artist Inkie will be spray painting a 650-word piece onto the Radisson Blu hotel. This will be a permanent legacy piece on Bristol’s historic Broad Quay. Until 1373, Bristol was divided geographically and administratively by the River Avon. The charter of 1373 gave Bristol and its suburbs jurisdiction independent from other county authorities, making it a county in its own right. Since then, Bristol has developed its own unmistakable identity, carved out by passionate locals and spirited fans, with art and culture at its core for generations.  

Vicky Lee, Head of Bristol City Centre BID explains:

“The summer is an amazing time to be in Bristol City Centre and we’re pleased to be able to bring Upfest to the streets to create some amazing artworks from blank canvases on Park Street, Queen’s Road and the Triangle. While the retail units on these streets are under offer, we have a unique opportunity to create a large impact for visitors to this part of the city. This is a significant year for the city as we celebrate 650 years of independence and there’s nothing more synonymous with modern day Bristol than street art. It will be great to see people turn out to support the artists as they create their pieces and the traders across the area as we head into the summer season.”
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