Murals aimed at staving off water-park graffiti

By MICHELE YOUNG/

NEWS — The Westsyde Community Development Society is seeking a grant from the Kamloops Arts Commission to fund murals on new change rooms that are being built to go along with the neighbourhood water park.

Society president Diane Kuchma said Wednesday the mural project is aimed at preventing graffiti from marring the walls of the building, which is expected to be constructed this summer.

“Not that it’s been a serious problem, but the new building will attract graffiti. There are always young people hanging around in the park, so if the walls are looking free and available, that will happen,” she said.

The group is seeking $1,300 from the arts council.

Kuchma said the request includes money for a protective coating on the artwork so it can be easily cleaned if necessary.

The change rooms are being built off the storage area at the end of the Westsyde ice rink. The community society’s logo will be painted on one side, and perhaps the City logo on another. But there will still be some blank wall space that could prove tempting.

There’s been some discussion about having a contest for the mural design, then hiring students to do the painting, she said.

“It’s proven if you do something locally with local talent, they realize it’s for them too and leave it alone,” Kuchma said.

The change room has to be built before the water park gets started. Kuchma said City council has indicated the water park construction could begin as early as next year.

“This has been needed for a long time.”

Coun. Tina Lange said the mural will have to be approved by the arts commission. Because it’s public art, she had suggested the society seek funds from there after the request first went to the social planning council.

“I’m on the arts commission and we did give money for murals that were approved. They need to show what they want to put on the wall and take that to the arts commission,” she said.

“I also suggested since they plan to hire some young people, they should look at federal student job grants.”

Lange had a mural painted on the back of Hello Toast when she ran the downtown restaurant about 10 years ago. She hired three top urban artists to do the work and said it’s never been tagged.

“It does work. It’s proven putting up those murals does work,” she said.

“They also respect others’ work.”