Art at a P.E.I. skatepark is creating 'a more exciting place'

A group of students from Montague High School in eastern P.E.I. have taken charge of the local skatepark to make it a more positive place.

"It wasn't bad," said McPhee Gotell, one of the art students volunteering her time to paint the park.

"But it just seemed kind of, like, messy and like it just seemed super kind of rundown."

Montague High School art teacher Kathryn Rajamanie organized the project, but she said it was Grade 10 student Tyler Storing who came up with the idea.

"It's going to be a more positive place to be, covering up all the graffiti and stuff and just having it more cool," said Storing.

"It's going to be a more exciting place overall."

'Having a great time'

Everyone involved in the redecoration of the skatepark is volunteering their time. The Town of Three Rivers paid for the paint.

Grade 12 student Macy Hancock said she has a lot of friends who hang out around the park, and she loved the idea of making it a more inviting place. As it turns out, spending some time at the park has been pretty good too.

"Honestly, I'm just having a great time," said Hancock.

"Just being out here with other people who also enjoy the similar things to me is just like, great."

For Rajamanie, the project has been a great opportunity to get her students out of the classroom.

"Every year I try to find community projects that my students can get involved with," she said.

"Art is a really hard one to show a need for. And so when students know that they can put their art skills to a positive place to go, then they take it there. So that's why we did it. We just want to show that the kids are talented, they care for their community, and they want it to look great."

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