Broken plate art a public safety concern in Penticton

PENTICTON – Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but a recent art project is creating a danger to residents in Penticton.

The City of Penticton has received a number of reports from residents complaining of unsafe art following incidents in three different locations. Some residents have asked if these are city art installations but the city claims it is not responsible for the latest art fixtures.

So far three instances where plates have been broken into shards, then set in mosaic-style arrangements or shapes using an adhesive compound have been discovered. Although the intent may appear to some to be decorative, the tiles edges are sharp and jagged.

Mayor Andrew Jakubeit hopes the individuals engaging in this artistic expression will channel their energies in less dangerous directions.

“The reality is this is unsafe. The locations were all in public areas, particularly access points where beach users could be in sandals or barefoot, and not expecting sharp objects,” he says.

Anyone seeing additional instances of “broken plate vandalism” are asked to report it to bylaw services at 250-490-2440 in order to have it removed to maintain public safety.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.