Old Hastings Observer building is at centre of exciting new street art project

The former Observer building in Cambridge Road is the venue for an exciting new street art project.
Old Observer Building, Cambridge Road, Hastings.
Photos taken on a tour when the building went up for sale, February 2005. Pics by Justin Lycett. SUS-181114-071749001Old Observer Building, Cambridge Road, Hastings.
Photos taken on a tour when the building went up for sale, February 2005. Pics by Justin Lycett. SUS-181114-071749001
Old Observer Building, Cambridge Road, Hastings. Photos taken on a tour when the building went up for sale, February 2005. Pics by Justin Lycett. SUS-181114-071749001

Street smART is an event from local arts producer MSL which lets practising and would be artists and the general public watch, learn, try and buy street art.

The project includes commissions for two artists to create new works in the Alley behind Claremont and the Trinity Triangle (Robertson Street, Claremont and Trinity Street).

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New works will be painted in situ by internationally acclaimed street artists, Pablo Allison and Joe Holbrook, with opportunities for people to watch the work develop.

Hastings Street Art Event SUS-200115-100309001Hastings Street Art Event SUS-200115-100309001
Hastings Street Art Event SUS-200115-100309001

MSL will be inviting other local artists via an open application process to be mentored by, and work alongside, the named artists.

Participants will also be able to take part in workshops, get coaching and hone their own street art skills.

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Local photographers, John Cole and Cathy Teesdale, will document the project and create a gallery of photographs as new work develops, as well as capturing the many pieces of quality street art that already adorn the 
Alley.

Street smART Slam takes place on Saturday, February 22 and Sunday, February 23 between 12 noon and 5pm in the Observer Building and The Alley.

There will be things to buy - food, artworks and clothes – an exhibition of work and films plus an auction of works created over the two days on Sunday afternoon.

Street smART is curated by Stephanie Warren who runs Stella Dore, a Street and Contemporary Art Gallery in Norman Road.

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She said: “‘Street smART is so exciting. It celebrates artists who work in often challenging situations, transforming drab or featureless surfaces with beautiful, thought-provoking art.”

Afterwards images of the works and photographs will be available digitally on MSL’s Interactive Map, which presents cultural information about the America 
Ground.

Margaret Sheehy of MSL hopes the project will create interest in a frequently overlooked area.

She said: “We want to inspire people to look more closely at the places around them and hope this project will help people discover the fascinating history that lies beneath the surface of the America 
Ground.”

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Street smART is supported using public funding by Arts Council England and Hastings Borough Council and is presented in collaboration with Stella Dore Gallery, St Leonards and the Observer Building.

The Observer building was bought last year by White Rock Neighbourhood Ventures.

See also: Motorists face delays on Hastings seafront as working week gets underway|https://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/people/hastings-seafront-roadworks-have-been-extended-1-9204408 Roadworks cause delays on Hastings seafront as working week gets underway}

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