Community artist Pamie Bennet has brightened up the old bowling club pavilion at Dundee’s Victoria Gardens with a vibrant and eye-catching new mural.
Pamie, who is also the creative force behind the Wellgate and Hank Marvin takeaway murals across the city, has lent her talents to the community garden on Blackness Road, which she describes as a “gorgeous wee hidden gem”.
Hopefully not hidden for long, it is hoped Pamie’s colourful mural will draw in curious passers-by and make visitors feel welcome.
Head gardener Gisela Espada says: “The community garden is open to everyone. When we have the doors open, they’re open to anyone.
“I really like that sometimes when people are just passing by, they are like: ‘What is that place?’. But they maybe don’t know if they’re allowed to come in.
“And what we want to do with the mural is just say, ‘yes, everyone is allowed! So be here, have a look, walk around, pick some strawberries, and learn about what we’re doing’. And then maybe they can stay involved.”
Painted on the concrete pavilion of what was once a bowling green, the lively mural features flowers, birds, rain and sunshine, to help signal that the space is a garden for anyone and everyone.
Artist Pamie explains: “This mural was inspired by the the beautiful flowers in the community garden. I was talking to Gisela and realised just how many of our vegetables and fruit have flowers.
“There’s tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, peas, chives, pumpkins, cucumbers, and beans to name but a few. So I tried to incorporate that in the theme of the mural, in the birds wings, sunshine and faces.”
Helping the community grow
Both Pamie and Gisela are passionate about community welfare and contributing to better mental health in the city, and it’s clear both the garden and the mural are labours of love.
Pamie says: “It’s a double meaning, to represent the growth of the community and all the volunteers this garden helps. Getting out in the open green space surrounded by food is a powerful thing.
“Learning about it and spending time there is very inspiring and leads on nicely to my next project with the Scottish Wildlife Trust. And Gisela and her volunteers are amazing, knowledgeable and so friendly.”
The gardens have garnered some attention recently, with the mural painted last weekend right off the back of a feature on national news. Gisela, who hails originally from Buenos Aires, hopes this means the Victoria Gardens community can continue to expand and thrive.
“The painting is very bright, very powerful, and colourful,” she says. “And the idea is just to invite people, to make them comfortable.
“Last week we also had an interview with STV, to share and create a voice. We want people to come and grow their own food, and to let them know they are welcome here.”
More information about Victoria Gardens can be found on the group’s Facebook page.