Stunning new mural appears in Earlsdon

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It was created by local artist Katie O'Sullivan



A stunning new mural has appeared on a busy street in Earlsdon. Created by Coventry artist Katie O'Sullivan, the colourful mural has certainly captured the attention of nearby business owners and passers-by.

Katie spent four days creating the mural and said being given the opportunity to do so was an "absolute pleasure". She hopes the mural will lift spirits and brighten up the wall while welcoming people to the neighbourhood.

It is part of a larger-scale project run by resident Dharmender Rai. Titled Earlsdon 2.0, a group of residents and businesses have been working together to breathe new life into the neighbourhood.

A number of residents and businesses have shared their praise for the mural and expressed their support for upcoming events hoped to attract people to Earlsdon. Katie said nearby residents have told her the mural "brings a smile to their face" as they walk by.

Katie told CoventryLive: “Earlsdon is built on a great community and I wanted to reflect this in the mural. I was offered countless hot drinks by residents and businesses like the Cobblers and Sage, the local coffee shop around the corner to keep warm during this cold weather. It is a privilege to paint this wonderful area and have the support of the community.”

Dharmender hopes the colourful mural will brighten up the neighbourhood as businesses continue to struggle with rising costs. “Our high street is struggling at the moment, businesses are closing. We had one open up and they have shut down within three months,” he said.

Last year, Dharmender launched a community project to help support businesses and attract more people to Earlsdon. He explained: “We kicked off a community project. A lot of focus has been on the city centre but there are high streets as well. It is not just about the town centre, there are other pockets in Coventry that need help and I think they have not really got the support.”

Dharmender took his proposal to Coventry City Council, however, his bid to secure funding was refused which meant he had to crowdfund to kickstart the project. “We have had to rely on local businesses. I do not get paid for it, but I live behind High Street and have young children. Part of my thinking is giving back to the community,” he said.

Asked whether he was pleased with the mural, Dharmender said he was simply 'over the moon' and hopes more art will be commissioned in other parts of the city. He said: “It has been really, really positive. It attracts people to Earlsdon.

“People were walking past and taking pictures of it and when Katie was doing the work she was getting compliments. We are definitely over the moon with it and we want to see more of this kind of stuff around the city,” he said.

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It's definitely an improvement over how it looked before!

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Hundreds flock as new mural appears on century-old building in Coventry



A colourful new mural has appeared on a century-old building in Coventry. Created by Katie O'Sullivan, the colourful mural has been painted at Earlsdon Methodist Church.

Celebrations were held on Sunday, April 30, to mark the centenary of the building, which first opened in 1923. Katie said the artwork took around five days to complete adding that the community response has been 'incredible.'

Hundreds of locals have visited the newly-painted mural on Albany Road. Katie said she hopes her painting will help 'shine through our troubles and bring hope.'

Speaking to CoventryLive, Katie said: “It was an incredible few days painting this for Earlsdon Methodist Church and their support and backing for this project has been amazing. It has been such a privilege to create their vision for this wall encompassing the Methodist cross with the four seasons.

“I hope the painting shines through our troubles and darkness and brings hope. It means so much to me to work with my local community.”

Katie added: “Whether you are religious or not, feelings of hope and joy are something to spread and feel great about. I try and focus on positivity throughout my life now and I feel incredibly lucky to paint for such amazing people and communities every day.”

Tim Jefferies was the driving force behind the artwork which he said has brightened up the local community. He decided to commission the mural after seeing the artwork created by Katie on Moor Street in Earlsdon.

Tim said: “We decided it would be a good idea to have a bright, colourful mural to celebrate our centenary this year and, as we had all admired her work in the area, we could not think of a better person to do it.”

“It has proved an instant success and we have been overwhelmed by the positive reaction from members of the community. We cannot thank her enough.”