Street art is set to be celebrated this year when The Big Picture Fest rolls into town in October.
The event will be Australia’s premier street art festival, and, thanks to COVID-19, it will be the largest event in Newcastle this year.
Novocastrian and artist Jordan Lucky says he could not be more excited to be a part of the lineup.
“It’s really a big moment for the street art scene in Newcastle, bringing together international acts as well as people from our community that deserve a spotlight and are producing really quality work and showcasing that to the city, so I am super excited to be a part of that,” he says.
Lucky started painting when he was 14 and, since then, it’s become his full-time job.
His works draw a lot of inspiration from nature and he says he is motivated by people in the community.
“I love seeing drive in other people, I get that keep going because my friends keep going sort of feeling,” he says.
“I am very motivated by watching other people grow and seeing what humans can do.”
Over three days, from the 2 to 4 October, the large-scale street art event will bring world class artists to paint murals alongside local talent.
They will paint on some of the city’s largest buildings to transform Newcastle’s streetscapes and leave a legacy for the community.
Brontë Naylor and Olas One (Nick Stuart) are two other local artists featuring in the street art celebration.
This week, the pair have been working on a mural at Waratah Train Station in the lead up to the festival as part of the redevelopment of the station.
Stuart says he feels honoured to play a part in the festival and share his love of art with the city.
“I feel like it’s such a great time in Newcastle for this to be happening,” he says.
“Once you start to discover the art form of graffiti you can really appreciate all the styles that come from it.”
He adds that art is something he can’t get rid of since starting in 2008.
“I’ve actually tried to quit a few times, but I have to do this, it’s a part of who I am,” he said.
“It becomes so ingrained in your personality.”
Brontë Naylor and Olas One (Nick Stuart) in the process of painting a new mural at Waratah Train Station this week. Photos: Peter Stoop 
Naylor echoed both Stuart and Lucky’s thoughts.
“I feel the same,” she says.
“Also, with COVID, it’s really fortuitous that this is happening in Newcastle because a lot of folks can’t leave the state at the moment and a lot of festivals have cancelled, so Big Picture Fest is quite lucky because it looks like it has a good shot of it still going ahead.”
She hopes the event will help people discover an appreciation for street art.
“Some people are so stuck in their own mind that they could walk past a 100 metre mural and not notice it at all, but even then, it has place,” she says.
“It informs how pedestrians navigate a place or how vibrant it is or how that street is animated.”
The Big Picture Fest is supported by the City of Newcastle, and Official Event Partner Hunter & Central Coast Development Corporation.
For more information about The Big Picture Fest visit its website or social media pages.
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