THE artist behind the mural in Glasgow depicting a modern-day St Mungo is one of 120 street artists to feature at Scotland’s only festival of graffiti and street art next month.

Sam Bates aka Smug, whose latest work on Glasgow’s High Street depicts an image of the city’s patron saint as a suckling infant, will appear at Yardworks, which is to be held for the fourth time at SWG3 in May.

More than 700 metres of wall space around the multi-arts venue will be transformed into colourful murals during the two-day festival by Smug and fellow leading Scots street artists Rogue One and Mark Worst, as well as 25 international artists such as Greece’s Insane 51 and Does from the Netherlands.

“The top five artists we’ve got coming this year have got a million followers on Instagram,” says Gaz Mac, co-founder and director of the artists’ studios at SWG3.

“I don’t even like saying that about artists. Everybody does it to the best of their abilities and it’s very hard to judge them like a football team. These guys are really talented in their own right.”

SWG3 has a long association with street art, says Mac, an artist with 36 years of experience in commercial artwork, street art, graphic design and illustration.

“The very first event we did here was a graffiti jam, as they call it, on the top floor,” he says. “We invited Glasgow graffiti writers in to paint over boards. With the painted boards we built the first studios here and would also supply them to T in the Park. When we got those boards back, we built more studios. It was that attitude of giving to give.”

Known for his dreamlike, almost psychedelic style, Mark Worst started his days with Mac at SWG3 when he was 16. He’ll return to Glasgow for Yardworks after working in New York and Los Angeles.

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“Mark is 29 now,” says Mac. “He had his studio here originally and worked alongside my son in a clothing company. Mark was doing the designs. He’s very much up-and-coming.”

Over a dozen local street artists come to the venue each weekend to practise their skills in SWG3’s Galvanisers Yard.

“A lot of them will come down through the week too,” says Mac. “They will maybe be a lawyer or a banker or working in the cleansing department, and sure as hell, they do a bit of street art too. And this is a place you can legally do it 365 days of the year.”

In past years, street art workshops have run alongside the festival. This year, individuals, schools, companies and other organisations are invited to take part in a week-long programme of classes and art tours beginning on May 13.

Under-16s go free at Yardworks, which will offer youngsters artistic “creation stations” and skateboarding lessons. A host of street food vendors and cocktail bars will cater for the crowds, who can also enjoy music performances, a Montana Cans pop-up shop and a 13ft-high skate ramp.

“Last year 5000 people came,” says Mac. “For a festival that’s dedicated to art, design, sign-writing and street art, it’s quite something. There are so many creatives in Glasgow, the west coast, all over Scotland and the biggest supporters of street art the general public.”

May 11 and 12, SWG3, Glasgow, 11am to 8pm, £5. Tickets: bit.ly/Yardworks19. www.swg3.tv.

For information on the post-festival workshops email info@swg3.tv