2024 saw the creation of the MUQY Street Art Walking Trail, consisting of three incredible, striking murals in different locations throughout Newquay town centre. Following major enthusiasm behind the reveal of these, a fourth has now landed in town – at a prominent Gover Lane location. The finish piece was unveiled on Tuesday 1st April 2025.
The project has been delivered by Newquay BID and funded by Cornwall Council’s Town Delivery Fund which aims to help revitalise town centres. Created by renowned large-scale mural artist and designer, Josephine Hicks (aka Hixxy), this vibrant, surrealist design is a creative depiction of local stories and themes. Best known for her dynamic murals (often referred to as ‘Left Field Tutti-Fruity’ in appearance), Hixxy has an impressive portfolio, including collaborations with major brands like Clarks and Bombay Sapphire.
Hixxy has collated in-depth archival information from a broad range of local sources to inspire and inform her location-sensitive piece in Newquay. The unique visual style of the mural will leave audiences with space to form their own narratives. With a focus on the ebb and flow of tourism in Newquay, it features elements such as RNLI lifeguards, hospitality workers, dogwalkers and traffic wardens, all brought to life with a unique, larger-than-life, bright and bouncy style and aesthetic.
Produced by Slapdash Studio, MUQY already includes three distinct murals by different artists, each located in different parts of the town centre. Although each totally unique, these artworks all celebrate Newquay’s heritage and vibrant culture. Each mural is connected via QR codes and forms part of a free street art walking trail. The fourth mural will be connected in the same way.
Mark Warren, Newquay Business Improvement District (BID) Manager said, “We are so excited to officially unveil the fourth mural in Newquay. We hope you agree it is a striking piece that speaks to the locals, whilst providing a fun and colourful lift to the street. Just like the others, it is thought provoking with depth and place-specific meaning. We have exciting plans for MUQY, with more sites set to launch in 2025, and we look forward to continuing to build on this legacy.”
The initial concept, developed by Dirk Parker (BID board member) and Jack Tierney from Slapdash Studio, was initially made possible with funding from Experience Newquay. Jack had the privilege of collaborating with an incredible roster of street artists and was able to secure the artists who created the first three murals. Kleiner Shames, Elle Koziupa, and 45 RPM, all of whom each brought their distinct styles to Newquay.
The expanded project is now being delivered by Newquay BID and funded by Cornwall Council’s Town Delivery Fund which aims to help revitalise town centres. Collectively, they have exciting plans to develop MUQY further in 2025 with more murals set to grace the town. More detail on this will be revealed in the near future.
For more information on the MUQY Street Art Walking Trail, please visit Lovenqy.co.uk. For more information on the artist, please visit Josephinehicks.com.
Image by Jack Tierney
