You know the most thrilling thing about Nuart over the weekend?
No, not seeing the brand new murals that cemented Aberdeen’s reputation as one of the leading cities of culture in the country.
Not the air of excitement at seeing the hunners of folk marching Pied Piper-style behind Nuart walking tour guides.
Not even the buzz around the Inspired Nights street food festival that was Nuart’s companion piece.
For me, it was the sheer joy of the kids taking part in Chalk Don’t Chalk.
This was a Sunday afternoon event, part of Nuart, with the aim of – and I quote – “encouraging the re-imagining and re-purposing of public space in a dynamic, participatory and creative manner”. Or, to put it another way, handing a bunch of kids chalk and letting them loose on the pavement outside Marischal Square.
Imagination, concentration and glee
It was a hoot, with children – including the inner child some adults were letting loose – making their mark in the most imaginative ways.
There were rainbows, unicorns, comic book characters. There were a fair few kids lying on the ground, giggling away, as they were outlined in chalk, ready to fill in the shape with a colourful version of themselves.
It looked like so much fun, I would have been tempted to join in, except for the fact I was working and it might look a bit weird to have a 60-year-old bald bloke drawing a Tardis in chalk on his own.
The best bit of all this was the sheer imagination on show as images took shape, from random scribbles to elaborate pictures. All done with a mix of glee and bit of absolute concentration thrown in.
Art is all around us – and for everyone
Why was I so taken by kids chalking on the pavement, you might ask? Because it is so much more than that. These were young children learning that art isn’t a thing that someone else does; not something that hides away in galleries where you have to go through big imposing doors to see it.
We should all take the time to notice the changes Nuart has brought, and to appreciate them
Art is something you do for yourself. There’s no right or wrong to it, it’s just you being creative and having fun.
And art is something that is all around us, to be enjoyed by everyone.
That’s a subtle message for little ones, of course, but an important one, especially for those at the age where they take on life lessons like sponges.
And it’s an important lesson for grown-ups, too. We already had a plethora of stunning street art works courtesy of Nuart, and now we have 11 new masterpieces to admire.
I use the word masterpiece in its true meaning. From the massive murals like Slim Safont’s girl in a tartan skirt at Union Plaza, to the little welcome mat Pejac has created outside the Citizen’s Advice on Union Street. Check them both out and you’ll be gobsmacked by the detail, both large and small.
While I’m not suggesting we all take to the streets with chalk to channel our inner Banksy, I do think we should all take the time to notice the changes Nuart has brought, and to appreciate them, all while looking forward to the street art festival’s return next year.
Scott Begbie is entertainment editor for The Press & Journal and Evening Express
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