Jan Martin wants to fill Newport's streets with art

Barnabas Arts House on New Ruperra Street is a gallery, art studio, cafe and events space in the heart of the city offering a creative space for residents.

More recently, attention has turned to highlighting the history of Pill through street art.

Art in Pill has seen a row of disused garages transformed into a celebration of a once bustling cattle market in the area, located at the Asda supermarket site.

There's also the 'Home Is Where The Art Is' mural outside the Barnabas Arts House.

Jan Martin has been a popular figure in Newport’s arts scene for 40 years and created the ‘Art in Pill’ project with a group of local artists to lift people's spirits.

She said: “It was my idea to have street art created across Pill, I got the whole thing moving by speaking to councillor Jane Mudd and told her that I have seen street art in other parts of the world.

“It makes a big difference in the community, it gives a sense of pride, belonging and it lifts spirits.

“After receiving some funding, the first piece we did for the project is in the lane on the side of Barnabas arts house.

“I involved four street artists to show four different styles in four pieces of art. The four of them combined created a beautiful mural and people go past and want to have selfies with the art.

“And that is my involvement, I want to make it my mission. I have never had funding in my life for anything as I have always worked hard and found ways of earning money through the arts.”

Art work on garages near asda one of the first of the Art of pill project

Home is where the Art is features a bookcase, a lady looking out of a window, a famous artist, a turtle, plants and an armchair.

Another piece of street art is located near Asda petrol station with a mural on nine garages. Each piece of art tells the story of the history of the area where a weekly cattle market was held until 2009.

The artwork is a welcome addition to the area where artist Andy O’Rourke created a mural in Temple Street celebrating a long-standing community member and the Pill cranival. There's also a tree sculpture oppostive Albion Close and digital columns next to St Joseph's Boxing Gym.

'Home Is Where The Art Is' mural outside the Barnabas Arts House in Pill. Inset: Jan Martin.

With street art popping up around Newport, Jan doesn’t plan to stop there as she has more work in the pipeline to help transform the Pill area to lift people’s spirits.

She added: “I want to put art on the walls that is thought provoking, I want to get street art out there as it has a story to tell.

“I want to educate people that street art is a thing of beauty and not horror, my vision for street art is for it to cause change or lift people’s spirit when they see it.

“Pill is seen as an underdog and it shouldn’t be as it used to be the most affluence part of Newport.

“It had all the shops that were posh years ago. The docks are still working but not like they used to so its become a different place.

“You can get anything in Pill as there are all sorts of different cultures living in the area and that should be celebrating.”

Watch this space: this wall at St Joseph's boxing club will be transformed into a mural

St Joseph's Boxing Gym, Newport

The Barnabas Arts house owner had two businesses in Pill approach her to help transform their buildings with beautiful artwork.

KC’s furniture store on Ruperta Street and St Joseph’s Boxing club on George Street are the next businesses to feature murals on their properties.

Jan added: “In the next few weeks, I am also going to visit homeless shelters near the passport office with the council with a view of getting some of them involved to put artwork on the pods they live in.

“I want street art to change the environment and people to look at it and feel good so that what I am hoping for.

“I want the art not just to be picture perfect but to tell a story.”

The shutters of this business will be transformed into something eye catching

KC's store in Pill

As the 60th anniversary of Jamaican independence from the United Kingdom and the Pill carnival approaches, Jan would like to celebrate this occasion with a mural.

She added: “I am just waiting to hear from people to say they would like it. If a wall comes up that people want us use, that would be fantastic.”