Artist to paint every pub in Liverpool to create 'legacy'

An award-winning artist, Gary North, has begun painting every pub in Liverpool as part of a legacy project. He won Lancashire Artist of the Year in 2025 and has already completed around 150 out of 285 estimated pubs. His goal is to leave a lasting artistic mark on the city’s pubs, focusing on their historic and communal significance rather than commercial appeal. North, self-taught, said he initially wanted to paint the city’s character but later decided to concentrate on pubs, calling them 'beyond cool' and 'fantastic community hubs.' He noted that Liverpool’s pubs are resilient, with only one closure so far—The Winslow—due to Everton Football Club’s stadium move. The artist uses varied styles, from watercolour to impressionistic acrylic, and has enjoyed painting certain pubs, like The Pig and Whistle, where the landlord reportedly adopted him. He plans to create a 'pub crawl' of his artwork through the city center leading up to a beer festival on 24 September.