The UNESCO Creative City of Kingston celebrates a milestone with the completion of 105 murals by arts non-profit Kingston Creative, working in partnership with the Tourism Enhancement Fund, Sherwin Williams Jamaica, the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation, and other partners. “One Downtown”, a call for peace and unity, is the theme of the latest series of 13 new murals located between King Street and Orange Street on Water Lane.

The new block of street art includes vibrant work from 12 artists; Pamella Chang, Lennox Coke, Dwayne Grant, Jordan Harrison, Kamaal Manboard, Delroy Millwood, Nakeha Shepherd, Deon Simone, Anthony “Taoszen” Smith, Paige Taylor, Keddan Savage, and Rupert Tomlinson. Most hail from the city of Kingston and are excited to be a part of the transformation taking place. They took their interpretation of One Downtown to the walls of Water Lane.

The goal of Kingston Creative’s Paint the City project is to create an art district to increase the economic, cultural and social viability of the communities in and around downtown. The centrepiece of the Downtown Kingston Art District (DKAD) is a pedestrianised public art walkway on Water Lane, which connects two of Jamaica’s pre-eminent cultural anchor institutions which fall under the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ) — namely, the National Museum on East Street and the National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ) on Orange Street.

“It means a lot to see the ideas move from paper to reality and to actually witness the artists’ vision coming to life,” commented Kingston Creative’s Art District Project Manager Dan Thompson. “Inclusion is an important element in the project and we always work closely with artists from the community, like Christopher Scobey, David Harvey, Delmar Robinson, Dwight Hinkson, Fabian White and Wayne Davis. We plan the project with the residents and business owners, too. One example is Harris McLean, a carpenter, resident in Water Lane for over 25 years, who has been very instrumental in the project, and an inspiration to the artists, too.”

The One Downtown concept is dedicated to reshaping the perception of this area of the city, encouraging unity of mind, thought and vision among downtown Kingston communities. The movement goes well beyond murals to delivering training and income-earning opportunities in several communities, working with the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) and the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ). Kingston Creative is seeking to use Jamaican culture as a catalyst to unite people around a common vision of a revitalised and safe downtown Kingston, where people will want to live, work and enjoy the culture.

The establishment of a cultural tourism destination with this cluster of murals in Water Lane is an example of creative placemaking, using public art as an agent for change. Both the residents of the downtown area and those from other parts of Kingston have expressed not only an increased sense of security, but also a renewed vision of hope for the city’s future.