Okotoks students beautifying park bathrooms

Three more of Okotoks’ public restrooms are getting a makeover.

Through a partnership with the Alberta High School of Fine Arts and the Town of Okotoks, the public voted on several designs proposed by students to turn the drab, grey public washrooms into public art through the Paint-a-Potty program.

Now into phase three, three more designs were added for Bill Robertson Park, Kinsmen Park and Sheep River Park by students Sophia Partridge, Paige Williams and Brooklyn Quinn, with students getting to work over the past week.

“It makes me happy that we don’t have to look at a grey, boring bathroom covered in graffiti anymore,” said Quinn, a recent graduate of the Alberta High School of Fine Arts.

While the theme for this round was sports, with the Alberta Summer Games approaching, Quinn wanted to show the beauty of Alberta’s natural views.

“So we’re adding mountain climbing, going to be people in the water, hot air balloon races,” she said.

For her teacher, Michelle Smythe, seeing her students get the opportunity to beautify the space was rewarding.

“It’s absolutely amazing that the kids have the opportunity, and the feedback we’ve received from the public has been nothing but positivity,” Smythe said. “Everyone appreciates it, they look forward to seeing the progress and checking out the various ones throughout town.”

Last year the partnership broke from the potty pattern and students submitted proposals for six waste bins to be painted and mounted around town, following a pollinator theme.

While Smythe said the Town's toilets have been the target of recent vandalism, public art has been found to be an effective method of discouraging vandalism, as is cited in the Urban Parks Institute's Graffiti Primer.

Now that the last potty has been painted, the teacher is hopeful other opportunities arise.

“I would love for it to continue, if they build more washrooms, but if not, it could be garbage cans, electrical boxes and various other things in the future,” Smythe said.