Ellesmere Port Market welcomes artists

Artists Graham Boyd and Nikki Pinder are starting work in Ellesmere Port Market next week (28 November) to create a series of murals inspired by designs from children at Theatre Porto.

The work is due to take two weeks with the team from Theatre Porto doing an onsite workshop on Sunday 4 December.

Twenty-Five budding young artists from Ellesmere Port produced their ideas of how they saw the Market and these sketches and paintings will be converted into full size murals.

To generate ideas and images for the Ellesmere Port murals, Nikki ran a drawing workshop in Theatre Porto working with a group of local children. The artwork created was inspired by two themes, ‘magical market stalls’ and ‘what makes you happy’. Nikki and Graham re-drew these images with additional elements resulting in a series of artworks which are being painted on shutters and walls around the market.

Shoppers can watch as the sketches are transferred into the new murals brightening up the market.

Nikki Pinder is an illustrator and mural artist who creates surreal and colourful characters and sceneries mostly inspired by nature. You can find her paintings in Chester Zoo and on BT cabinets. You’ll often see Nikki’s Posca drawings on windows in various cities around the UK. Her designs have been featured on Ed Harcourt CDs, River Island clothing, Singletrack magazines and iPhone cases in Harvey Nichols.

Graham switched from product designer to muralist five years ago and has since painted for electronics, clothing, and helmet manufacturers; waste, recycling and logistics companies; recruiters, consultants, charities, hospices, a farm, a café, a council, a university, a youth club and a leisure centre.

Over the past year Nikki and Graham have collaborated on a dozen mural projects which has meant getting to grips with kings, giants, engineers, bishops; Jesus, Mary and Joseph; the devil, flying saucers, geese, and dogs in tutus. Among others.

An exciting new children’s soft play area will be installed in the market in the new year whilst improved seating and free wi-fi will also be available. 

Shoppers at the market are being asked to vote now for Ellesmere Port Market as Britain’s Favourite Market 2023, after the first week of voting Ellesmere Port was already in the top 30 by number of votes.

Shoppers can vote on the NABMA (National Association British Markets Authority) website: 

https://nabma.com/vote-for-britains-favourite-market/

The judging includes a public vote, a mystery shopper visit during November or December and a judging panel from NABMA.

Look out for the voting posters in the market that just need scanning to go straight to the voting page and you can vote every time you visit as individuals are allowed to vote once per day. Voting for the Favourite Market closes on 13 December.

Ellesmere Port Market is open six days a week (closed on Wednesday) with a flea market on Sunday, Monday and Thursday. The market website:  www.ellesmereport.market includes details about the traders and special events taking place.

Pictured - Ellesmere Port Mural designs.