Could this Welshpool wall become a “global attraction”?

An audacious plan to turn a bland Welshpool wall into a sparkling “global attraction” has been revealed.

Artist Paul Butler, who has a worldwide following for his stunning murals created from specialist Keim mineral paint, wants to create a massive work-of-art along with another locally-based artist, Linda James, that would make Welshpool one of only 20 locations in the world with such a showpiece.

The idea was presented to town councillors at Wednesday night’s full council meeting with Cllr Dr Ben Gwalchmai claiming it would place Welshpool on the international arts map.

Mr Butler was part of a team that created the ‘Battle of Cable Street’ mural (pictured below) in Tower Hamlets that captures the historical East London anti-fascist clashes in 1936.

It attracts thousands of visitors every year and Cllr Gwalchmai believes a similar attraction here would bring in the tourists.

“You may not know but we have international-known artists living very close and within the Town Council remit. Linda James and Paul Butler are driving the connection between Welshpool in Nova Scotia, Canada, that we previously backed. They are brilliant artists.

“Paul’s mural for the Battle of Cable Street is a global tourist destination. People from all over the world come just to see it in-location, and it marks history, it’s full of culture and brings tourism to the area.

“The reason why it is such a global destination is because they work with a very specific kind of paint, which is Keim, and there are fewer than 20 murals in the entire world. There are tours that take in all of these and we could be a part of that.

“It will not only improve the look and the area, but they are a global attraction.”

While councillors warmed to the idea in principal, and approved Cllr Gwalchmai to lend their initial support to the artists, Cllr Phil Pritchard was “totally against this” because of concerns over its longevity.

“We’ve done it before for the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway and who looked after them after? Nobody,” said Cllr Pritchard. “They were painted on by kids and the council had to go and clean them up. Nobody bothered and it became junk.”

Cllr Billy Spencer said that, while he supported the idea, the Town Hall was Grade II listed and, as a local resident himself, others in the neighbourhood should be consulted first.

Mayor, Cllr Phil Owen, requested that the Town Council work with the artists to identify the theme of the mural, with Cllr Gwalchmai pointing out that the concept would be to connect “the history of this Welshpool with the history of Welshpool, Nova Scotia and, thus, bring Canadian tourists to us”.

The artists will be responsible for the funding to carry out the work, meaning that it wouldn’t cost the Welshpool tax payer a penny, and the Town Council support was given with a condition that the artists are also responsible for its long-term upkeep.