Giant student art project: Colfax fence fish count now stands at 1,269

Five Colfax Arts Council members April 28 assembled boxes of plastic fish and art supplies for Colfax school students who will be asked to paint the fish which will be mounted along the fence next to the flood channel of the South Fork of the Palouse River.

A total of 1,269 fish have been cut out and are ready for painting by Colfax students in kindergarten through eighth grade and high school students in two art classes. Painting is expected to begin in the middle of May.

Thirty-nine different fish patterns have been prepared for the project. The fish, acrylic paint, brushes and other supplies have been placed in the boxes which will be distributed to each class.

The fish were cut out of 4x8 sheets of a Sentra plastic material which was purchased by the council through Washington State University. A specialty fabrication shop in Spokane cut out the fish which are approximately 12 inches long.

The Arts Council also plans to put out some of the fish on tables at The Center during First Thursday sessions over the summer for residents who want to paint them. The first public painting session will be June 6 at The Center.

The fish fence project and painting of downtown wall murals are two major art projects this year for the Arts Council.

Funding for the Arts Council projects was provided by a $10,000 anonymous donation and a $15,000 grant from Colfax lodging tax revenues.

The fish, which will be painted on both sides, can be viewed by walking along the tracks of the former railroad or from the west side alley on the opposite side of the channel.

The unused railroad segment has been proposed as a greenway, and some city funds have been spent on the project at the north end in the Eells Park area.