ORGANISERS of the Tivoli Gardens Mural Project say they have collaborated with German organisation Meeting of Styles to bring 100 artists from across the world to the gritty west Kingston community in December, as part of a continued thrust to heal the wounds of past trauma and rebrand the neighbourhood as a vibrant hub of authentic Jamaican culture.

“A big part of what we are trying to do is unearth the aspects of the community that a lot of people don’t look at,” Oneil Coke, one of the main organisers, told the Jamaica Observer last Friday.

“More time people look at all sort of bad things, maybe that’s why the name Mother of all Garrisons was achieved. But we have a rich sports history and we have a rich music history. When you reason with the elders, you get to realise that it’s not just a garrison. We are just trying to change that outlook because all of that is mindset,” added Coke.

Meeting of Styles states on its website that it is an international network of graffiti artists and aficionados that began in Wiesbaden, Germany, in 1997.

Brought together and inspired by a passion for graffiti, Meeting of Styles says it “aims to create a forum for the international art community to communicate, assemble, and exchange ideas, works and skills, but also to support intercultural exchange”.

The organisation says it has launched hundreds of events in many countries across Europe, Asia and the Americas that have sponsored thousands of graffiti artists from all over the world, and throughout the years has attracted hundreds of thousands of spectators, providing a focal point for urban street culture and graffiti art.

Meeting of Styles explains that its name was created to support the netting of the international art community. “It is not meant to be a forum only for classical and traditional graffiti artists and writers, but a podium to present all different types of urban art. This is why we are open for all types and styles.”

The Tivoli Mural Project started in 2022, 12 years after members of the security forces, who had sought to arrest then Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher “Dudus” Coke, met resistance from gunmen for two days. Coke, who had fled the community during the fighting, was wanted by the US Government for arms and drugs trafficking. He was eventually captured weeks later and extradited to the US where he is serving a prison sentence.

Phase one of the mural project saw 5,000 square feet of walls in the community, some of which still bear bullet holes from the 2010 police/military operation, turned into murals symbolising hope, resilience, and the triumph of creativity over adversity.

Coke shared that the mural project is now in phase two and, with the help of Meeting of Styles in December, they aim to transform 35,000 square feet of walls within the community into large-scale murals.

He said that 70 artists from across the globe have already signed up, through the Meeting of Styles website, for the nine-day event scheduled to open on December 11.

“Since starting the project in our community we realise that these are the places that art really needs to be, the places where people wake up, come outside, and go to bed. I think it has more of an impact on you here than when you’re going to pay a bill or when you’re driving to work and see it on the road,” Coke told the Sunday Observer.

“Every time residents want to feel good about themselves, or are going somewhere for a special occasion, these are the spaces that they come and create that moment through photography,” he added.

Coke said that the team is currently in the process of seeking sponsors for the event. He urged businesses, organisations, and individuals to contribute in any way they can as they seek to make this vision a reality.

“Don’t stay on the sidelines; reach out, because we will be appreciative of whatever support you guys can offer. If you are an artist, we have walls; if you’re a company that provides paint, we need paints; if you have a restaurant that makes food, the artists need to eat,” he said.

Additionally, he said there will be numerous fund-raising activities within the community leading up to the event, among them a karaoke night, Soul Wednesdays, and a sip and paint, which outsiders are welcome to support.

“We really have a significant amount of stuff that we have to have prepared for the ones coming in December. You can reach out to us through our
Instagram page at Tivoli Mural Project. You can also send us an e-mail using the address on the page or call the phone number,” said Coke.

Lead artist Marlon ‘Life Child’ Spencer of Art Evolution, who was painting a mural when the Sunday Observer visited the community on Friday, said the inspiration for his piece came from the 2010 skirmish that left more than 70 people dead.

“It’s a phoenix bird rising from the ashes. It’s all about that new beginning and new changes. We understand that Tivoli Gardens is one of those communities that has been through an incursion, and understanding the trauma within the minds of the people and the youths, we’re just seeing ways and means we can use art in significant places to really represent that divine healing,” said Spencer.

He hopes the piece, which comprises vibrant colours, will provide healing for residents, giving them a renewed sense of hope.

Conroy Green, another artist involved in the initiative, was also in the process of working on his piece entitled Alkebulan, the original name of Africa before the arrival of Europeans.

He said that art is not just for aesthetics, but also holds emotional value.

“You see it with the reviews and the feedback thus far from the residents how much they admire the painting, how much the painting gives them joy… It brings about a sense of joy and camaraderie,” he said.

“The whole mission is to uplift the community — each one help one, reach one. You don’t necessarily have to be from the community to be a part of the project but if you’re an individual that finds some worth in inspiring others, you can be a part of this project in whichever way you see possible,” he said.