聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Going downtown in Kamsack next week visitors and residents will see newly-painted, colourful fire hydrants.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The 26 Grade 9 students in Kristen Doyle鈥檚 art class have taken on the project of giving the fire hydrants a new coat of paint and it was decided that rather than have them all be one colour, each one would be painted differently.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e鈥檒l probably be able to paint about 20 hydrants when we leave class to do it on May 13,鈥� Doyle said last week. 鈥淲e plan to do another 20 with a new group of students in September.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In discussion for some time, the project got off the ground this year after Kev Sumner, recreation director, applied for and received a cultural outreach grant of $633 from Parkland Valley Sport, Recreation and Culture, which allowed him and Doyle to purchase the paint and associated tools to undertake the project.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e鈥檝e decided to let the students paint the hydrants however they choose,鈥� Doyle said, adding that among the selected designs for various hydrants would reflect a range of images including Minions, trains, aliens, Duck Mountain and John Deere.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e bought all the colours we could of an oil-based paint that is good for metal,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd we鈥檝e mixed some colours as well.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Doyle said the students will be starting with the hydrants on Queen Elizabeth Boulevard and main street; areas with high traffic.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Painting a community鈥檚 fire hydrants is not a new scheme, she said. They have been painted, for example, in Melville and Humboldt.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The idea is to take an ordinary object and draw attention to it,鈥� she said. In addition, the Grade 9 art curriculum includes a section about taking action by using art for the greater good.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e鈥檙e stoked about painting the hydrants next Friday,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to take lunch and have a good time. It鈥檒l be like having a field trip in town.鈥�
