'Mother and Child Mural' in Beijum Wins Street Art Prize

The 'Mother and Child Mural' has won the Street Art Prize 2023. This vibrant artwork, spanning an impressive 150 square meters of wall space, created by Michel Velt, emerged as the public favorite with nearly 32 percent of the votes. The winning artwork garnered praise from the public, with comments such as, "It encapsulates so much - love, strength, color!" and "I find it to be a beautiful and diverse representation that perfectly fits the neighborhood." Another person described the artwork as "grand, accessible, a masterpiece for everyone." The story behind the winning artwork can be seen in this video.

By: Redactie

30 June 2023

The mural depicts a young child wearing a yellow jacket and matching rain boots, standing against a background of orange and green geometric patterns. The child holds onto her scooter tightly while her mother extends her hands with a smile. Michel Velt drew inspiration from a conversation with a mother and daughter who used to live in Beijum.

In second and third place, respectively, were the 'Aletta Jacobs Mural' by the artist duo VAAF at Academieplein and 'Portaal,' the door with the hardstone step by Gert Sennema in Folkingestraat.

Public Art Prize

The Public Art Prize is awarded annually by the municipality of Groningen, which boasts nearly 600 artworks in public spaces. Kunstpunt manages a significant portion of these artworks and maintains them in collaboration with Stadsbeheer. Through the Street Art Prize, Kunstpunt highlights a selection of artworks each year. This year's theme was 'mural art.' Over a period of two weeks, residents of Groningen had the opportunity to vote for one of the ten nominated artworks. Last year's winner was 'Grote Kijker' by Herbert Koekkoek in Ten Boer.