SEEK Art Festival set to return to Dundalk this July with five new murals

The SEEK Contemporary Urban Arts Festival is set to return to the streets of Dundalk this year, with five new murals set to be created around the town.

The festival, which kicks off on July 31st and runs until August 7th, will turn the town into a “kaleidoscope of creativity”, with world-class muralists set to take to the streets.

Town Centre Commercial Manager, Martin McElligott says that this year’s events will “take things to the next level”

“This year we are taking things to the next level and on behalf of the SEEK team I am excited to confirm that five new murals sets will be added to our extensive collection,” said McElligott.

“The 2021 SEEK festival has never been more important to the people of Dundalk, especially as we all emerge from our Covid 19 hibernation. We gained a lot of experience delivering last year’s festival and know that we can host a Covid 19 safe event for all to enjoy again in 2021,” he continued.

McElligott said that it was difficult for the SEEK team to narrow their options of historical characters from Dundalk’s history to use in their murals, and he hopes people will be able to reconnect with local history during the festival.

“As always we hope the festival will help people to reconnect with some of our unique moments in history as well as enjoying the very visual aspect of the outdoor art gallery we create.”

Sarah Daly of Creative Spark said that they were delighted to be heading to the streets of the town this summer, saying it was a pleasure to be involved.

“The SEEK Festival has brought so much colour and happiness to the town centre it is a pleasure for us to be involved,” said Daly.

“The artists always stun us with their interpretations of the subjects we commission them to work with, and the stories we hear as we walk through the town add another perspective on the history of the town.

McElligott also thanked Dundalk Tidy Town’s for their work in prepping for the festival, saying that they show up “unreservedly” to help.

Both PayPal and Colourtrend are the commercial sponsors of the SEEK festival, with both companies saying that they are excited to get involved in the festival.

“It’s been a tough and challenging year. Festivals like these revive hope and bring our communities together through arts, culture and events. We look forward to seeing it all come together,” said Margaret Ward, PayPal’s site lead in Dundalk.

“Colour is our passion, we know the importance of colour in the everyday and the power it has on the observer, SEEK is a celebration of urban art that truly embodies this sentiment,” said Aideen Brennan of Colourtrend.