The unexpected delight of encountering a vibrant mural on a street—or witnessing several being created during popular events like Nuart Aberdeen—offers a fleeting experience. Whether these murals are crafted to endure for decades or serve as temporary installations addressing local history or pressing social issues, the encounter is often brief. Exposed to weather and urban development, these artworks can disappear quickly. This is where Art UK’s archive becomes invaluable.
Art UK is a digital platform that links viewers to public collections nationwide. The site hosts approximately a million artworks sourced from about 3,500 collections, including museums, libraries, hospitals, and town halls. Recently, the organization achieved a significant milestone in its mission to document street art and murals throughout the country. Just over two years after starting this initiative, Art UK has added more than 6,600 new pieces to its database, increasing the total to well over 21,000 public artworks.
The scope of the project is vast, encompassing works from the elusive Banksy to large-scale murals by artists like Rogue-one and The London Mural Company. According to Art UK’s Public Art Manager, Tracy Jenkins, the project’s initial goal was straightforward: to document 5,000 murals and wall-based artworks across the U.K. These artworks, dating from A.D. 1000 to the present, include historic church wall paintings, post-war ceramic and concrete pieces, and modern murals and mosaics.
Volunteers have contributed over 5,000 hours to locating and photographing these works. The database features many artworks that are decades old, highlighting their locations and conditions to protect them from potential future developments. Although most works are relatively recent, Art UK includes artworks regardless of their date or whether they’re indoors or outdoors. For instance, a series of ethereal paintings inside St. Thomas’ Church in East Shefford, Berkshire, date back centuries.
Jenkins points out that the project began during a surge in street art and mural creation in the U.K. These artistic additions to urban landscapes have notably reduced instances of unsightly graffiti tagging and have boosted local economies and visitor numbers. Jenkins also notes that “public art in any form can be contentious, sparking debate and strong emotion… Street art and muralism is in many ways the most democratic genre—it is not created in a faraway studio, it is not locked behind closed doors, and it does not require prior expert knowledge.”
Documenting street art and murals serves to engage communities and deepen understanding of the art form, fostering a sense of “community ownership and pride,” as Jenkins describes it. Artistic, informative, playful, and celebratory works bring joy to city corners. Explore some recent additions below and visit Art UK’s website to view the full database.
