A splash of colour has been catching eyes in Okotoks.
Anyone passing the Elks Hall on Elizabeth Street in recent days probably noticed a new mural on the east wall of the building along Elk Avenue. The mural is part of a shop local project that’s spearheaded by the Okotoks and District Chamber of Commerce.
Finished on Aug. 1, it was designed and painted by Calgary artist Sarah Slaughter and is already creating a buzz, said chamber executive director Dawn LeMaistre.
“We're super excited about it, we can’t be more thrilled with what Sarah's vision has created there,” she said.
The design was given the thumbs-up from the Elks board and from the Town of Okotoks, and includes elements of some of the service groups that use the building.
“We’ve got the Elk on it, poppies for the Legion, and things like that,” she said.
Originally planned to cover two-thirds of the wall, the mural was extended at the request of the Elks Club, LeMaistre said.
Slaughter was selected for the project after submitting a proposal to the chamber last year.
"We can't be more thrilled to have selected her, because she's just been amazing with the whole process," LeMaistre said.
The mural is part of the chamber’s MORE Okotoks campaign. It uses experimental marketing to draw people to the area, with hopes they will stay and visit local businesses.
The project began 2021 with the introduction of the blue Okotoks letters.
“The letters have been the talk of the town, good and bad,” said LeMaistre.
They created a buzz, being featured prominently in social media posts, and the new mural has similar appeal, she said.
“Sarah has done a great job at making something that’s super cool to capture in a photo.”
Slaughter said she is no stranger to painting murals in public, but was struck by how friendly and interactive onlookers were in Okotoks.
"I received so many compliments and excitement throughout this project," Slaughter said.
"I truly think that I was able to crush the entire wall because of the friendly banter and support," she said.
Supporters ranged from little children who admired the animals in the mural and offered names for each, to older locals supplying snacks and water as the project progressed.
LeMaistre said the chamber hopes the painting might be the beginning of a mural walk that would highlight different areas and businesses in Okotoks.
Other projects under the MORE Okotoks banner include a series of videos and the Bee Happy mural at Bill Robertson Park.
Funding for the MORE Okotoks campaign comes from a federal grant administered by Alberta Chambers of Commerce.
Videos and information about other projects are on the MORE Okotoks website at MOREOkotoks.ca.
