The design near Mattes Ave. created by Joanne Churko. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)

By Ian Gustafson

Saskatchewan Culture

New crosswalk art displayed in Prince Albert

Aug 29, 2020 | 11:00 AM

The City of Prince Albert has added new pieces of creative art projects to the streets of P.A.

As part of a crosswalk art project which began in 2017, the city painted two new displays on crosswalks around the city this summer.

At the end of First Street East and Mattes Ave. you will find painted-on trees display on both ends of the crosswalk and on Marquis Road and Fourth Ave. West is a design of prairie lilies.

“We’ve tried to make it an annual undertaking that at least one or two crosswalks are painted every year,” Arts and Culture Coordinator with City of P.A. Judy MacLeod Campbell told paNOW.

As part of the program, they do a call out every year for artists who want to contribute to come up with a design, encouraging local, but will accept Saskatchewan wide submissions as well. Each year they try to select designs that match the location, such as in 2018 art brushes were painted on the crosswalk near the E.A. Rawlinson Centre.

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The art is done by using a stencil designed and created by the artist, to lay down on the crosswalk and painted over. Campbell explained in the past, the designs chosen the artist would supply the stencil, going forward the city will get them made locally.

“The stencils that the artist created in the past some of them held out and some of them didn’t,” she said. “We want to make sure that we can get a strong structure to the stencil that we know is going to last.”

Joanne Churko from Regina was the chosen artist this year for her forest and prairie lilies designs. Even though she lives in Regina she has roots in the area.

She explained she submitted a proposal for numerous designs and explained the design is meant for traffic application. There is a lot that goes into deciding how to design the art pieces, such as the dimensions, how large it’ll be, and whether it’ll be a barrier for those walking across the street.

“There was a lot of research that went into it as well, the City of Prince Albert has I think through art there was a lot of ways under this type of temporary art project that you could create discussion and tell some stories meaning Prince Albert has a lot of history,” Churko explained.

She explained the forest piece is intended to represent the Boreal Forest and to explain the importance of the forest industry in Prince Albert. It also displays significance to the northern lights.

The Prairie Lily piece was to speak to the southern part of the province and where Prince Albert transitions the two geographical regions.

“With those two pieces I sort of put together I was focused on geography, environment, and some elements of the economy and their influences in Prince Albert,” Churko said. “So, my pieces are essentially directly related to things in and around Prince Albert.”

“It’s nice to see them in place it’s nice to have those opportunities as an artist I personally love to see public art everywhere,” Churko added.

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Ian.gustafson@jpbg.ca