The city is calling on local artists to submit ideas to paint six garbage bins out at McArthur Island.

It’s an extension to a pilot project started last year in the city’s downtown.

Parks and Civic Facilities Manager Jeff Putnam says typically it costs about 300 dollars to paint the bins one standard colour. “What happens is they often get tagged shortly after being repainted, but with this program it is a very similar cost per bin to have a really colourful art mural painted on it.”

Putnam says once bins are painted with a mural they seem to be avoided by graffiti artists. “And they typically get avoided by taggers. So it actually saves the taxpayer money over the longer term and it benefits the community because it is really cool.”

Putnam says it is looking for a sports theme to help promote Kamloops as the Tournament Capital. “The theme for these six bins that people will notice them when the project is finished around the end of July around the sports centre facility, so we’re looking for the celebration of sport to celebrate the Tournament Capital. Yes we are in the middle of a pandemic, but we know and we hope that tournaments will be back soon and it really fits the theme of the island.”

He says is looking forward to seeing what local artists comer up with and he hopes to be able to continue to expand the program.

Artists looking to be a part of the project can click here for more details.