Street Art
Paul Mullin may no longer be playing for the team, but his impact and other footballing legends have long lasting reminders of their achievements dotted around town. Successes have been captured on a massive scale by Pencilcraftsman. Other talented artists embody the spirit of the town and our long, proud social history.
Films
and
Arts
We may already have famous Hollywood football club owners, but Wrexham also boasts an international BAFTA-Cymru qualifying Film Festival, and a series of up and coming award winning local film makers.
With growing world class talent right here on our doorstep, Wrexham punches above its weight in film.
Creating a fitting tribute for a Wrexham Legend
Paul
Curtis
Artwork
Paul Curtis is a Liverpool artist specialising in street art and large murals. He came to public attention with his very first piece of street art, "For All Liverpool's Liver Birds" (aka The Liver Bird Wings), which became a massive hit with locals, tourists and many famous faces too. Since 2017, Paul has created more than 250 public pieces, across the UK, with most of his work found around Merseyside and Wirral. His work is well-known and sells all over the world.
We caught up with him as he was developing something iconic for Wrexham, a new mural on the exterior of the Turf, located right next door to the famous Racecourse / Cae Ras itself.
Paul was invited to create a piece commemorating the late great Joey Jones, who made over 100 appearances for the club. His nickname of Mr Wrexham reflected his deep connection to the club and town. Joey was the first Welsh player to win a European Cup with Liverpool, so it’s fitting that an artist from Liverpool has been appointed for this high-profile project.
Explaining that it is far more than just creating a good design and planning a painting, Paul said to us;
“It’s all about the process. Yes, the idea and concept do take time to develop, but it’s a gradual process. There’s a lot of waiting for things to fall into place, there’s always a last-minute spanner in the works and whilst you might not see it, there are so many moving parts – more than you can imagine that are involved just getting to this point. Thankfully everyone involved has pulled together in the same direction, and remembering that it is a tribute after all, and we must bear in mind the finished piece must be mindful and respectful.”
We felt privileged to have shared a few moments with Paul whilst he was creating this masterpiece for our town. Wrexham fans will undoubtedly see this finished work as a fitting tribute to Mr Wrexham himself, for many years to come.
Fearless in his Devotion to Street Art
Liam
Stokes-
Massey
We met up with the talented Liam Stokes-Massey aka Pencilcraftsman, who is both an illustrator and muralist. Liam is originally from and lives in Wrexham.
Famous for the grandest scale projects dotted around town, with many of his works featured on the Wrexham Art Trail, Liam shared a few minutes with us at his infamous shepherd’s hut art workshop based in Ty Pawb.
Originally studying Astrophysics at Cardiff University, Liam’s career in Art began by chance whilst at Cardiff starting off with graphic novels. Discovering his new-found talent and enjoyment of being creative, he then began commissions shortly thereafter. Returning home to Wrexham in 2013 it took him a few more years to hone his art, skills and build on his confidence to really strike out in art full-time.
There’s no doubt about it nowadays, Liam’s skills have developed to a very high standard and finds himself in constant demand for new projects and works. Even whilst we were talking together, Liam was asked for a new commission from a walk-in enquirer – further reinforcing his popularity.
Liam confided “If you told me a few years ago that I’d be painting big walls, I would never have expected it at all. I didn’t feel like an artist, I used to feel like more of a skilled craftsman.”
Currently Liam is working on a new private commission, which is a collection of 38 individual pencil portraits of the entire Wrexham AFC team and management, all to be displayed in one mount. It is intended as a planned gift for a close family member. Liam explained that the level of detail and effort required is immense still and whilst the scale of the project is physically much smaller than his other famous projects – there is still a lot of effort and planning required to achieve the desired result.
Liam also makes his works accessible to wider audiences by selling high-quality prints and authorised copies both in person, via his online shop below and at approved distributors around town. We are looking forward to sharing more news on the exciting projects that Liam undertakes and has planned in the pipeline. We will add these here on our dedicated Visit Wrexham Arts page, so keep a look out for further updates.
In the meantime, we’d encourage you to follow The Pencil Craftsman on socials, check out the image gallery of some of Liam’s works displayed above and take to the Wrexham Art Trail to see his works in real life, when you visit Wrexham.
Meet the artist
Sophia
Leadill
We met with local artist Sophia Leadill over coffee at Bank Street Social on a warm, bright Friday morning in late summer - seated by the window, just yards away from one of her recent artworks.
The conversation gave us a personal insight into what motivates her to create bold, community-focused art across Wrexham, and what drives her vision for the town’s cultural future.
Sophia has called Wrexham home for 25 years. She studied Fine Art at UCLAN, later earning an MA in Arts in Health and a PCET from Wrexham University. Since 2002, she has worked as a freelance creative practitioner, delivering workshops across museums, galleries, health and social care, education, and community settings.
In recent months, her focus has shifted towards creating hyperlocal street art - art rooted in Wrexham’s identity, stories, and people.
Her first piece, of Wrexham icon Big June, was painted on the side of The Long Pull pub on Henblas Street. 'Big June' was an adored regular at the pub, and Sophia loved hearing stories about her. June has been celebrated in Sophia’s work, which sparked conversation, drew the community together, and even went viral online.
Sophia’s main artistic interests lie in street art and printmaking, always underpinned by a strong sense of narrative and community. Her work is guided by a hyperlocal approach – living and working in Wrexham is central to her creative practice.
She also draws inspiration from the Welsh concept of Cynefin: a deep sense of place, rooted in belonging and history. For Sophia, people’s stories and lived experiences are essential, giving her pieces the context and meaning that connect them so strongly with the community. She also appreciates how accessible street art is – anyone can enjoy and connect with it.
As our conversation wound down, Sophia reflected on how the recent success of Wrexham AFC has been both a gift and an opportunity for the town - lifting the whole community. Yet, for her, the community itself remains the heart of everything, because “Without community, you haven’t got anything.”
Through her art, Sophia finds practical ways to support local businesses, celebrate Wrexham’s history and culture, and elevate the voices that make the town unique.
Her most recent piece, on the wall of PW Hale Jewellers halfway up Bank Street, brings one of Florence Hardman’s much-loved Facebook posts to life. Like the tribute to Big June, it highlights Wrexham’s social history and celebrates the characters who shape the community.
For Sophia, both Florence and June represent something larger: women who are deserving of recognition and remembrance on Wrexham’s streets.
With several new projects already in the pipeline, she hopes to continue sharing more street art across the town in the coming months - capturing the evolving story of Wrexham, one mural at a time.
Wrexham Paint Jam IV
On the 15th and 16th August the Wrexham Paint Jam returned to the basement levels of Eagle's Meadow Shopping Centre underground car park. This was the fourth instalment of the now infamous jam, curated by Avant Cymru and led by team of UK wide artists, supported by Eagles Meadow Shopping Centre. We met up with a number of the artists whilst works were being commissioned - make sure you read our behind the scenes profile piece on this event - download below.
Laura
Evison
Art
Based immediately next door to us here in Yorke Street is landscape artist Laura Evison. Laura enjoys painting local mountains and valleys including Llantysilio, Llangollen - helping to raise valuable funds for Aberglaslyn Mountain Rescue and NEWSAR via print sales.
Y/The Lab
pays tribute to
Cymru
Women’s
EURO 2025
Avant Cymru, the creative collective behind Y/The Lab, based at Eagles Meadow, have brought together graffiti artists to create bespoke murals celebrating local members of the national team.
Ashley Cooper of Avant Cymru said: “It’s been a pleasure to champion Wrexham’s women in sports and work with FA Wales. Thank you to the local schools for their support and the artists for their amazing work.”
The Littler Places
We've known Julie Littler for a few years now, she has a great talent in capturing the spirit of our amazing town with her vibrant art pieces. Hand painted architecture and landmarks are made into beautiful souvenirs for your home. Available across town at independent stockists and online.
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