CROYDON could become a "world class" destination for street art says the founder of a group of artists helping to transform one of the town's most run-down areas into a canvass of creativity.
More than 30 female street artists from Femme Fierce descended on St George's Walk on Sunday to add their work to the growing public gallery adorning walls and shop fronts in and around the aging shopping precinct.
The event attracted an estimated 1,000 people to the street throughout the day and the designs have been turning heads ever since.
It was organised by RISE, an art gallery in the precinct, and founder Kevin Zuchowski-Morrison, as part of his attempts to turn St George's Walk into the centrepiece of an 'arts quarter' in the town centre.
Ayaan Bulale, founder of Femme Fierce, said the area could become a popular destination for street artists because the few legal sites in London are overused.
"Kevin got in touch in January and suggested we get some of the girls to come and paint walls and shutters in Croydon," she explained.
"I didn't know what to expect but the reception was amazing. There were pensioners with cameras taking photos, asking for more information and saying how much they like street art. One was 92-years-old! It was absolutely incredible.
"It could be the start of something big. When people want to paint in London they either do it in Leake Street (a tunnel by Waterloo Station) or in Shoreditch, where it's saturated.
"In Croydon there's an opportunity to have a world class outdoor gallery.
"People come from across the world to paint in Shoreditch but half an hour later someone's gone over your work.
"What Kevin has done is to encourage art that lasts at least a few weeks or even months. Only positive things can come from that.
"It's going to encourage quality work. You will get people travelling from all over the place to paint in Croydon."
The Femme Fierce crew have joined other well-respected street artists to have painted murals in St George's Walk, Park Street and Katharine Street since Rise opened last October. Mr Zuchowski-Morrison hopes there will be hundreds more.
"Sunday's event went really well," he said. "It was so busy. During the day there must have been a thousand people. It was a really great atmosphere and the work on show was fantastic.
"We wanted to show Croydon's got it going on, that it's a happening place and it's cool. It's the start of bigger things for the arts quarter."
Femme Fierce is to hold a exhibition at RISE later this month ahead of a series of events on March 7 and 8 to mark International Women's Day. For more information visit www.facebook.com/FemmeFierceEvents.
