This downtown art project comes from Waynoka, Oklahoma, population 927. Far from a dressy, stodgy downtown, they have a casual attitude. It’s a working class town with history as a railroad community.
The wooden utility poles downtown were in bad need of a new coat of that boring silver paint. What happened instead is far more fun. The people of the community painted the poles, and they got creative. Different groups did different poles, and everyone did different designs.
It won’t draw any new visitors for you, but it could be a neat way to inject some life into what your visitors see when they do come downtown.
Won’t this be a pain to maintain? Sure. But the city wasn’t exactly keeping the boring silver paint in top condition. Wouldn’t it be more fun to see fading creative graphics than fading silver?
And the casual, fun attitude suits Waynoka just fine.
Hanna Kimbro painting. photo by Charlene Bixler
How can you let your community get together and let a little creativity out?
UPDATE: Thanks to Daria Steigman for the much improved headline! Daria has a great post on integrity, Don’t Let Perks and Perceptions Define You.
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Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
I love these street posts! It’s a great reminder that opportunities abound to unleash creativity — and make the rest of us smile.
Someone recently created a mural near my Metro stop. You see if when you walk over via the back alley — and it’s a wonderful dash of color. And, yes, it made me smile.
There’s no reason for towns or cities to be all cinderblock, tar, and wood.
Thanks again for the improved headline, Daria!
Catherine Sak, Executive Director of the Texas Downtown Association, sent this by email:
Have you ever seen these banners in Hoisington, Kansas? They got a local metalworker to make them and they depict different aspects of town. I like them so much more than the cloth banners everyone uses that don’t last with hot Texas weather…..
http://www.getruralkansas.org/Hoisington/37index.shtml