from yaprap April-May 2011
Blue Mountains Street Art Collaborative (BMSAC), joint winner of Exceptional Project within a Not For Profit Organisation in the recent ZEST Community Sector Awards, is a collective of young Blue Mountains artists led by staff at Mountains Youth Services Team (MYST).
The primary aim is to coordinate large scale, legal public and private art works. BMSAC believes in the legitimacy of legal street art which it sees as benefiting the whole community. Through the development of legal avenues for aerosol art BMSAC helps to validate the place of young people in our community, foster a healthy creative outlet for youth and build positive relationships between young people and the greater community.
Government and non-government agencies, businesses and local residents contact BMSAC where they have need or desire to produce artworks and murals using aerosol art. In most cases patrons cover the cost of paint while BMSAC supplies artists, insurance and assurance.
The BMSAC program simply acts as a link between young people who want to be engaged in legal aerosol art and the elements of the greater community that see benefit in this process. There are 3 parties within the BMSAC process, the client (for example Council or a private shop owner), BMSAC/MYST staff, and the young people who will complete the commissioned art.
The process is as follows:
- A BMSAC staff member learns of an opportunity either by referral or direct contact.
- Then the proposition is put to the BMSAC collaborative (young people) via text message. A meeting is called with any members who are interested in the opportunity.
- A conceptual design is created for the client, at this time input from the client is possible.
- A time is set for BMSAC staff to supervise the young people to complete the mural.
BMSAC is a funded project of MYST. Staff at MYST facilitate BMSAC by acting as a link between the community and young artists.
This innovative approach to graffiti management will be documented in a book to be released later this year. The book will detail BMSAC’s success in changing people’s perceptions about aerosol art and feature profiles on local artists. “The key to the book is it’s a celebration of how the community has responded to aerosol art locally — it documents a graffiti management strategy that hasn’t involved zero-tolerance, and as a result has shown a lot of positive impacts,” said Project Coordinator Jarrod Wheatley. “The three key elements I always come back to with BMSAC are: it’s about breaking down barriers within the community, validating young people, and providing space for a creative outlet.”
More information
more details and a gallery of art
If you are interested in discussing a potential project or if you just have some questions please feel free to contact
- Project Coordinator Jarrod Wheatley on (02) 4782 2875