GRAFFITI BOMB: Jason Richardson, Tomas Buratovich, Greg Pritchard, Paul Pierotti, Bob Clegg and Oscar Richardson, 8, are looking to combine to set up an urban arts festival in Griffith next May. Picture: Anthony Stipo
A BOMB is about to go off in Griffith and the city’s underground urban arts fans are going to light the fuse.
In a first for the region, an ambitious project to set up a week-long urban arts festival in the city has been launched.
The festival would see a smorgasbord of urban arts events including music, dance, fashion and even graffiti take over Griffith for one week in May.
Creator Tomas Buratovich said the event – called Town & Country: Piece Bombs – would be the “biggest thing to hit the city in years”.
“This event will promote the art and everything under the umbrella of urban arts – graffiti, dance, poetry, fashion, music,” he said. “In my opinion this will be huge for the city – it’s going to be an artistic bomb to hit Griffith.”
Mr Buratovich already has written support from Griffith City Council, Rotary East Griffith, Griffith Business Chamber and the Western Riverina Arts Board.
He has also courted the interest of international graffiti artists Bonzai, Peeta and Teazer to transform the run-down Banna Lane into a work of art and a tourist attraction during the week.
“To have Peeta come to Griffith is huge – this guy has done gallery shows across Europe, Asia and the US and the same with Bonzai,” he said. “We have the opportunity of having the best artists from around the world come to Griffith but also give Griffith artworks they can sell as tourist attractions.
“Graffiti doesn’t breed graffiti. To avoid tagging, you give people in the community spaces they can own and feel part of and people don’t tag on someone’s artwork.”
Mr Buratovich said people might be sceptical of an urban arts festival in Griffith but he was determined to make it a community event.
“It’s part of the community, it’s not in a gallery – it’s accessible – and I want to bring all people in the community together and want every element of the Griffith community doing it,” he said.
Anyone interested in the festival can contact Mr Buratovich on piecebombs@yahoo.com.au.