MOOSE JAW — Downtown Moose Jaw is gradually becoming a bit brighter and more unique each day as a team of local artists continue to paint an assortment of trash cans, benches, and other previously mundane items as part of the Downtown Moose Jaw Association’s (DMJA) Kinsmen Kids Art Project.
The project is still underway and runs along Main Street North from Manitoba Street to Ross Street and also spills over onto Langdon Crescent.
“Throughout the past three years, we’ve been collectively tackling and painting every garbage can, bench, electrical box — anything that we’ve had approval from the right sources to be able to turn into something fun,” announced Carly Jaye, one of the artists behind the downtown creations.
The project began in the summer of 2021 and, by the time the snow flies this year, a total of 75 objects will be completed.
In its first year, the project included Carly Jaye, Kayla (32 Flavours) Hanson, and Maguire Sotnikow who oversaw the completion of 35 items. This summer, Jaye continued the work alongside Kayla Buckingham and Ellie Govan.
The project’s goal is to get families excited to be in downtown Moose Jaw. Led by the DMJA, the project is a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and, true to the mission of the association, it seeks to help support downtown business development.
“We’ve had freedom to paint whatever we want, as long as it’s kid friendly and appropriate to our city,” Jaye said. “There’s some things that are specific to Moose Jaw, but overall, it was just to make it more colourful and youthful in a way that doesn’t take away from our historic downtown.”
Jaye said the addition of bright, colourful street art plays an important role in shaping the character of a public space.
“I get told all the time how much it brightens someone’s day, and just the two or three seconds that they drive by or walk by, these pieces of art that are (originally) just stone and concrete and metal… turn into something artistic that can be appreciated and maybe brighten someone’s day and make them smile,” she said. “It’s just such a beautiful thing to me.”
Jaye said it can sometimes be a challenge as weather, patience, and frequent interruptions to speak with curious onlookers can take time out of the work, but she also said that she’s not upset by these factors.
“Part of what makes it beautiful is the process, and regardless, if it takes a little longer to get it done, getting that public feedback face to face hits your heart a little more than a Facebook comment.”
In a unique twist, Laurie Hysuick, the owner of Mitny Refillery, agreed to help out with a garbage can project this fall in front of her business.
“It’s just such a beautiful thing for me, and it’s fun,” Hysuick said while applying black cow marks to a garbage can beside Capone’s Hideaway. “I’m in my store and people come in all the time and they say how much they love our downtown, so of course I want to paint a trash can.”
Hysuick’s insight speaks volumes to the project’s regular artistic talent. “I’m only doing cow dots, and they’re simple designs but it’s still harder than it looks,” she said.
Jaye replied with some insight from her decade’s worth of experience. “It’s one thing to be able to paint something, but to be able to paint something where you don’t have a full canvas, you’re having to factor in every other inch (and you) don’t have something to make it recognizable… that’s an added challenge that comes with street art,” she explained.
“No one can prepare you for it until you sit here on the corner and do it yourself,” she added.
The project is scheduled to conclude this year and Jaye said it likely won’t continue into 2025 — although there will likely be more projects to follow as the association strives to keep Moose Jaw’s downtown growing. “(We are) recognizing our history, but (we’re) also creating new history,” Jaye concluded.
To view a map of these downtown creations, visit .
