Fast cars mural on a church - it’s a message of prosperous hope, says organiser

A futuristic mural of three high performance cars is catching the eye of passersby in Belfast city centre.

Painted last week by artist Dan Kitchener, the mural adorns the HOPE, Chapel Lane building, formerly Old Berry Street Presbyterian Church, in Bank Square.

It was the brainchild of Keith Mitchell, co-founder of Crown Jesus Ministries, which operates out of the building.

Speaking to Irish News, Keith, better known as Mitch Belfast, said he had wanted to “invest in and bless the city” through the mural project.

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“We wanted to share something happy and joyous and bright and colourful.

“We took over the building a couple of years ago and thought, ‘Let’s get some life back into a rundown area of the city’.

“I saw one of Dan’s murals at Wynwood Studios in Miami. The wall in Miami wasn’t unlike the size of the wall at the back of HOPE, and I thought, ‘Wow, if it’s good enough for Miami, it’s good enough for us.

“I also knew Dan had done fantastic murals here before, including Ormeau Bridge at Night on the Ormeau Road and Hope in the Shankill,” said Mitch.

Mitch said they settled on a mural of three fluorescent fast cars, rather than Bible verses and Jesus suffering on the cross.

“I wanted something people would look at and smile, something that brought joy and happiness and communicated the idea the future is bright,” he said.

“I think the mural is going to make people feel good. It is a futuristic dreamwork of Belfast – a prosperous Belfast.”

Funding for the spectacular mural came from the local community.

“The new owner of Mourne Seafood, right opposite, gave us a donation, as did the St Mary’s parish priest. We have a great relationship with St Mary’s,” said Mitch.

“It has been wonderful to see so many people stop and smile and take a photograph in front of it now it’s finished.

“That’s what we wanted. We wanted people to look at it and say, ‘Isn’t that nice? There’s a church or a ministry which doesn’t feel it has to Bible bash or force us into Protestant or Catholic traditions, a church which is actually sharing something happy and joyous and bright and colourful. That is the heart behind the artwork.”