I’ve just come back from a visit to the Barn at The Crossroads in Abbotsford Place in the Gorbals, I went primarily to see a new mural by, what appears to be their artist in residence, EJEK. Ably supported and assisted by some of the youths who attend the centre, Danny has created a great mural which reflects the organisations’ aims and objectives, that “everyone should have the right to live gloriously”. Nick, one of the Youth Workers, also displayed a talent with the can by adding some mission statements on a nearby wall.
The Barn is a wonderful space in the Gorbals and Laurieston area of the city, originally built by Crossroads Youth & Community Association, and the local people as a response to the lack of facilities and opportunities for young people in what was one of Glasgow’s most deprived neighbourhoods.
The dedicated staff and volunteers at the centre work hard to deliver a vibrant, fun, and effective programme of youth work aimed at developing a range of competencies and capabilities to help young people be successful members of their community.
As I had photographed and documented, the many murals, also created by Danny and the young people around the centre and the surrounding area, in a previous posting on the site (My Mural Trail #4), it was good to see this new piece, sponsored by Sustrans, the cycling charity, I really liked the fabby bike rack/planters in front of the mural. The Barn is becoming the place to visit to see really good street art and murals in the South Side of the city, some of you may remember the wonderful tribute to Marvel’s Stan Lee EJEK created there last year, all of the art is outdoors and visible to the passing public.
Jim's travels 