Jacinta Fintan's Small Walls program aims to use murals to replace graffiti and 'beautify' the Newcastle CBD

From Hit the Bricks festival to the more recent Big Picture Fest, local and international artists have "livened up" our city with their eye-catching murals.

Now, Jacinta Fintan - through her company The Wall Station - is giving businesses in the CBD a chance to share in the pool of Novocastrian mural talent as part of her new graffiti-prevention program.

"There has been a lot of graffiti popping up around town so the program looks to benefit business and beautify the area," Ms Fintan said.

"We aren't doing massive walls just small ones with an A-frame ladder so they don't require working at heights training.

"It's a good way for artists to transition from the studio to the street."

Rather than thinking of commissioned murals as a "superior" form of street art, the Small Walls program aims to work with graffiti artists toward a mutually beneficial outcome.

"I've done a lot of work with graffiti artists in the past so I would look at doing something like that if there is the right wall," Ms Fintan said.

"We do work with artists we think may have hit the wall to start off with. It reduces the chances of being hit again when the artist is respected.

"People are more likely to take ownership and pull together to look after them."

Having grown up in Newcastle, Ms Fintan returned three years ago from a stint in Sydney. Inspired by similar programs in the big city, she said street art is proven to make CBD spaces more inviting.

"When a street is riddled with tags it gets more tags and then people start to think it doesn't look safe and spend less time in those street," she said.

"Once you've got a beautiful artwork that a lot of people care about that does start to deter graffiti more than a blank wall."

The program involves businesses in the Newcastle CBD applying for local artists to paint over unwanted graffiti on their exterior free of charge. Ms Fintan said the program also presents an opportunity to include schools and community groups in the painting.

Small Walls has received $50,000 in funding from the City of Newcastle.

"City of Newcastle (CN) is pleased to provide funding to Small Walls, a public art program that assists local businesses with managing graffiti on their street fronts," a City of Newcastle spokesperson said.

"The initiative has been supported through City Centre and Darby Street Special Business Rates funding, which is reserved exclusively for the promotion, beautification and development of these business precincts.

"Small Walls will deliver 10 murals throughout Newcastle CBD between May and October 2022 and in doing so, not only support local artists, but also beautify the CBD."

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