Now in its fifth year, the 2019 Wall to Wall Festival will bring together a dynamic combination of local, national and international artists to create new murals across the small Victorian township of Benalla this weekend.
Benalla has become the regional street art capital of the country, with a densely populated outdoor street art gallery of more than 60 iconic public artworks by some of Australia’s leading street artists, local emerging artists and renowned international artists.
This year the festival will showcase over 20 artists including: Akid One, Kitt Bennett, Cristen Brunner, Caratoes, Choq, Mattie Davis, Tarsha Davis, Dvate, Elle, Robyn Grove, Insane51, Jagung, Leans, Alex Lehours, Clinton Levy, Lolo, Davidson Lopes, Mayonaize, Callum Preston, Sirhc, Skiny, Kate Thaus, TROG, Danielle Weber, Sophie Wilson and Zenisis.
The 2019 Festival also promises to be the biggest yet! Highlights include guided street art tours featuring both new and old murals and information about the artists, the art and the town – tours will be run by local artist and committee member, Zach Blake.
Kingspray – a cutting-edge live graffiti simulator which will have artists donning the VR headset and virtual spray can, performing live as it is streamed to a large projector screen for the audience to watch on.
A perfect way to discover artworks old and new around town is the Scavenger Hunt. Participants will be able to sign up at the info tent and complete a small scavenger hunt by answering questions about artworks and Benalla and getting answers checked off by local businesses.
A crowd favourite, the Paint By Numbers Local Mural is for people of all ages and skill sets. Come get your hands dirty, and leave an impressionable mark upon the town! Or let The VR Cinema take you on an immersive journey as you view a series of art and cultural short films, from local and international settings. Ranging from Rone exhibitions, previous Wall to Wall events, to as far as the mountain tops of Switzerland.
While over at the Benalla Art Gallery one of the pioneers of street art in Australia, Julie Shiels is featured in the exhibition – All that Remains. In the 1980s Shiels was actively involved in several of Melbourne’s street poster screen printing collectives, responsible for some of the most politically strident and visually striking images of that era. Highly regarded as cultural icons, many of the artist’s posters, originally pasted up around streets and laneways under cover of darkness, are now held in major public and private art collections.
Benalla’s neighbouring town, Goorambat, will once again join in on the festivities. Already home to Adnate’s Sophia mural located inside the Goorambat Church, as well as Dvate’s Millibai – the Barking Owl Silo artwork, Goorambat will again put on their famous Devonshire Tea service at the hall, along with a bigger and better craft market. There will also be live music and buskers on show throughout the day and the Silos will be lit up in the evening for a twilight viewing!
“Coming into the fifth consecutive year of Wall to Wall, I am so proud to be a part of an inspiring and talented committee as we present an incredible weekend of festivities, bringing Benalla to life with music and art,” said Roxanne Demasson, Chair Wall to Wall Festival.
“Each and every day I see the vibrant and positive changes that the festival has brought about in our small rural community, from the economic benefits to the pride in our town. We look forward to sharing our local talents and hospitality alongside an impressive line-up of international artists in 2019.”
The 2019 Wall to Wall Festival runs 5 – 7 April. For more information and complete program, visit: www.walltowallfestival.com for details.
Image: Street Art by Elle at the Wall to Wall Festival