SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The dull metallic transformer boxes that sit around Yellowknife are getting facelifts, thanks to a group of local artists and St. Joseph School students.
Northland Utilities brought in a spare transformer not hooked up to electricity for the students to paint |
The City of Yellowknife and Northland Utilities put out a call for submissions in May, looking for people interested in sprucing them up. The city received 12 responses, one of them being the Grade 6/7 split art class at St. Joseph School.
So, Northland Utilities brought in a spare transformer not hooked up to electricity for the students to paint, and a Northland representative to provide safety education as part of the project. Once the painting is done, the spare transformer will replace the live one on St. Joseph School property.
Deanna Ehalt-Zawyrucha, a teacher at the school, explained the concept the students submitted.
"Students picked iconic images of Yellowknife and the surrounding area," she said. "I divided (the students) up into five groups and each of the five groups came up with a different side."
The images on one side of the box will represent Old Town, the second side was set to include an inukshuk, a Canadian flag and the rocky landscape of Yellowknife, the third depicts Somba K'e Civic Plaza and the fourth is an image of two hands shaking each other.
One hand wears a traditional beaded winter glove and the other wears a more modern mitt, representing the meeting of cultures.
Originally, the top of the transformer was also going to have a Canadian flag painted on it but due to the liability involved with having children on ladders, Ehalt-Zawyrucha decided not to. Instead, the plan was changed to have the flag incorporated into the side with the inukshuk on it.
Zawyrucha said the students also wanted to depict the four seasons with each side using colours typically associated with its respective season.
The teacher said she mostly sat back and let the students' creativity flow.
"We've done some painting in class, they know the basics," she said. "I want them to have some of their own ideas and not be too guided."
The students finished painting their transformer box on Thursday, which was also the last day of school.
"They're very proud of what they're doing and they're excited for others in the public to see their work," said Ehalt-Zawyrucha.
The local artists who will be painting the other transformer boxes are Alison McCreesh, Courtney Chetwynd, Dennis Kenny, Diane Boudreau, Jessica McVicker, Madeleine Tetreault, Renee Thomas, Robbie Craig, Sarah Bradfield and Joel Maillet.
