Tagged For Exhibit

The campaign to clean up Reading's walls and signposts from the blight of taggers has started to move ahead and pay dividends as a 19-year-old from Earley and a 24 year-old from Reading were arrested and charged with criminal damage after an incident at the Co-op store on Erleigh Road in central Reading.

Meanwhile efforts to encourage budding local street artists to channel their creative energies in a positive direction have begun to follow the example of current flavour of the month and enfant terrible of the art world Banksy.

One secretive local street artist, nicknamed 'Pistol', is growing a reputation by rising above stereotypes of vulgar naive art, and is attempting to legitmise his work by donating a number of works for auction by the Artsbar cafe.

The work by 'Pistol' was eventually sold for £575 and the Wellington Road establishment has moved on to mentoring other graphical artists inspired by him.

Callum Kirkland is studying 3D Design at university and helps organise youth centre workshops to encourage youngsters dealing with issues of bullying to express their feelings through art.