Streetwise

There’s nothing like some colourful street art to brighten a boring wall.

We love checking out the awesome artworks that pop up in alleyways around Hobart and we’re always on the hunt for new offerings.

Here are some of our favourites:

BIDENCOPES LANE – This inner-city laneway got a facelift as part of the Vibrance Festival. More than 20 artists spent seven days transforming brick walls, roller doors and stairwells into eye-catching works of art. Wander in from Murray St (opposite Myer and Lush) or from Liverpool St (beside The Slumber Shop). You can also access the laneway from inside Centrepoint. My boys love wandering around here, soaking up the crazy colours.

BATHURST ST SHARK – this mural is HUGE! We drive past it a lot and finally stopped to have a closer look. A great place to visit on a Saturday or Sunday as the surrounding area is a busy carpark during the week but empty on weekends.

MATHERS LANE – The bold colours pop against a black background in this fun mural. I walk past regularly and never get tired of seeing it. A good place to stop if you’re visiting Farm Gate Market.

VICTORIA ST – Hudson likes checking out this mural whenever we walk past. It was painted by artist David Booth (aka Ghostpatrol) as part of The City of Hobart’s Urban Art Wall project which aims to discourage illegal graffiti and tagging by covering walls in commissioned street art.

WELLINGTON WALK – My boys have played on the wooden play equipment many times but it wasn’t until recently I discovered the popular play space was designed by renowned Tasmanian artist Tom Samek. Archer likes the monkey mural beside it.

SCHOOLS – We’ve stumbled on some really cool murals at various schools around Hobart, so wander around your local school grounds on summer nights or weekends to see what you can find.

SKATE PARKS – There’s often heaps of colour at skate parks and two of our favourites are Blackmans Bay (where there’s a playground and a series of artworks to brighten up a boring fence) and West Hobart (where the skate bowl is covered in colourful creations that are always changing). Visit early in the morning or during school hours and you’ll usually find skate parks are deserted so it’s safe for toddlers and pre-schoolers to wander around and check out the art without getting in anyone’s way.