April 2025 - Art Competition with Local Primary Schools – Design of a Mural in Underpass
11 April 2025
Local Primary School Artwork Displayed as Mural in Spindlehowe Underpass Uddingston
Art Competition with Local Primary Schools – Design of a Mural in Underpass
On Thursday 27th February 2025, Scottish Road Partnership’s (SRP) Operations Manager Graham Drummond, SRP’s Liaison Officer Martin Cochrane & a street artist Scott McKenzie visited three Schools in the Uddingston area, namely; St John the Baptist; Muiredge & Tannochside Primary schools, to give the children at the school an input on an art project and competition taking place at the nearby Spindlehowe Pedestrian Underpass, below M74 Motorway at Uddingston. The Underpass and mural had been vandalised by graffiti numerous times over the years and after recent fire damage, the mural was beyond repair, so the Underpass was painted over in a white base colour.
SRP asked the P5 to P7 students in each school if they would like to take part in an art competition and to submit their artwork to SRP with a view of six winners from each school (18 winning submissions in total) having their winning entries replicated as a new mural within the tunnel. An environmental theme was suggested with drawings of animals, plants, insects, windmills & ponds living around the network, suggested as ideal entries.
The teachers and P5-P7 students agreed to take part in this art competition and were delighted to be given a presentation from Graham and Scott in relation to SRP’s operation and maintenance of the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Maintenance Project, including the Pedestrian Underpass. Scott also provided an input in relation to his career path into being a street artist, preferred methods of artwork and gave examples of his artwork that matched the environmental theme to be followed when submitting a competition entry. Graham and Scott had a Q&A session with the P5-P7 pupils and their artwork submissions are requested by Friday afternoon 14th March.
Twenty Two winning art entries were selected by SRP and they commissioned the artist to paint a new mural with these children’s drawings, which commenced on Tuesday 01st April 2025 and was completed two weeks later on Friday 11th April.
SRP's Graham Drummond and the street artist Scott, would like to thank the local schools and pupils for taking part in the art competion and were delighted at the standard of entries, so much so, they ended up selecting more winners than initially agreed.
Hopefully, the local community will enjoy the new mural as they use the Underpass in the months and years ahead.
Ends.