Clutha Bar set to redo murals after damage
THE murals surrounding the Clutha Bar are undergoing a redesign. In 2015, Glasgow-based street art group Art Pistol spearheaded the project to cover the outside of the bar in a black and white mural, featuring fans of the watering hole including Billy Connolly, Frank Zappa and John Martyn.
After being damaged due to weather, owner Alan Crossan has asked Glasgow-based artists back to redo the mural.
Alan told us: “I loved the old murals, I thought they were great.
“It’s time for a change as the old ones were damaged with the weather.
“They were up for five years and always were of a temporary nature.
“The previous murals won’t be lost, we’re keeping them as an art installation and we’ll get them in better condition.
“The first mural was obviously made because after the accident, the windows were smashed and we put boards up to protect it.
“Glasgow City Council has helped with funding the boards and the artists who are painting it.”
The old black-and-white mural featured many famous faces that graced the Clutha over the years.
Alan said: “I don’t know what the next ones will be, that’s up to the artists who are changing it.
“The first one had the faces of all the people who drank and played in the bar. I think it’ll make the corner look brilliant.”
The first murals were painted on the boards of the Clutha following the tragic helicopter crash on November 29, 2013, when 10 people died.
As the new murals are being painted during the Covid-19
Picture: Colin Mearns pandemic, Alan said they will pay tribute to the work of the NHS.
He explained: “We’re thinking of a new look for Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
“I think the guys are trying to put a real mask on him, to reference what’s going on, and to say thanks to all our NHS workers for everything they’ve done.”