A picture tells a thousand words…and our Mural Trail around Paisley town centre beautifully captures the story of Paisley past, present and future.
The Paisley First Murals Project has been created to help breathe new life into the town centre. Using only local artists and working with some of the town’s community groups, the murals are a great talking point for the people of Paisley and visitors to the town.
Paisley’s vibrant art scene welcomed a new arrival to the town with the completion of Wish You Were Here at the town’s main railway station at Paisley Gilmour St.
The talented duo painted iconic people, places and historic moments from the town’s past – everything from a mill girl, a burning witch and Gerry Rafferty to Fulton Mackay, the Russell Institute and the Hillman Imp car in a nod to summer postcards of yesteryear.
Local artist Kevin Cantwell completed the fourth mural in the series at Lady Lane.
This stunning work incorporates a tree with roots, the Paisley pattern and butterflies – all signifying birth and roots and re-birth, as well as a small marker to the slug in the bottle.
Artist Kevin Cantwell said: “It’s been fantastic to see the murals appear, they really do add to the vibrancy of the town. It’s always great to see art bringing happiness to people and making them smile.”
Partly cobbled and nestled between Shuttle Street and Causeyside Street, Browns Lane is undoubtedly one of Paisley’s hidden gems, thanks to the vision of a group of local business owners who set out to regenerate the area. With additional funding from Paisley First, new lighting was installed and street artists Mark Worst and Danny McDermott were brought in. The result – a fitting tribute to some of Paisley’s best-known Buddies including Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan, the Cup-winning St Mirren Team of ’87, singer Paolo Nutini and local historian Ellen Farmer.
For the next mural in the town’s Lawn Street, Made in the Mill worked with Paisley based artist Duncan Wilson to create a design concept which raises awareness of mental health.
The group, an artists’ collective based in Mile End Mill Paisley and supported by the NHS, works with artists who use art and creativity as part of their recovery.
Artist Duncan Wilson said: “I hope the mural gives a voice to all the participants at Made in the Mill who took part in creating the design and that it conveys the message they wanted to share with Paisley.”
In 2017, seven-year-old Eva Rose Ross from Paisley won the competition to be commemorated on the gable wall next to Allan’s Snack Bar on Storie Street, a popular fish and chip shop in the town.
Along with co-artist Alexander Guy, local artist Caroline Gormley braved sunshine and snow to complete the work to complete the “Buddie” artwork in spring 2017.
Caroline said: “This mural encourages young people to be curious and to engage with their rich heritage. Hopefully, it will inspire them.”
This work highlights one of the town’s relatively unknown sons, Alexander Wilson, as well as one of the town’s iconic buildings and local wildlife.
The kingfisher represents the life and work of Alexander Wilson, who is credited with establishing ornithology as a science. Originally a weaver poet, Alexander Wilson moved to America where he studied wildlife and travelled widely, documenting and drawing hundreds of illustrations of birds on his way.
The Coats Memorial Church was built in memory of Thomas Coats, founder of the town’s biggest thread firm.
The Paisley First Walls series has inspired a number of other murals to pop up in and around the town.
This artwork on the side of Japan Street Food on Renfrew Road is the latest addition to the town, celebrating the extension of this popular Paisley business into larger premises.
Other additions are courtesy of local artist Shaun Deveney known as Art by Dev, including this one further down Lady Lane.
Two of Shaun’s other works celebrate local man James Goodfellow, the creator of the chip and pin, on Rowan Street and Scottish internet sensation, Jamie Genevieve, on Blackhall Street.
There are more Paisley murals in production and will be coming to a street near you soon. Community groups are also getting involved in some of the upcoming murals; these murals are for the people of Paisley, by the people of Paisley.
