Alberta artist sparks smiles with outhouse art

Cathy Rigby, of Strathmore, has placed several of her pieces inside outhouses throughout the province of Alberta. (Supplied)

As far as she knows, Strathmore amateur artist Cathy Rigby is the only person who has posted watercolour artwork in outhouses.

Back in 2023, while in the Northwest Territories Rigby found the weather and demeanor of people was gloomy, and decided to brighten their day by sharing her art.

She admits this project also fulfills something she has missed since retiring from a career working as a nurse, including at CUPS and Alpha House---making people smile.

“I've had feedback from all across Canada. Actually, there was a blue heron (I put in a campground in Nova Scotia that I got an email about saying) ‘it was a lovely piece, and it made me smile and thank you,’” she recalls.

She’s posted nearly 46 paintings in outhouses across Canada, although she claims they aren’t “masterpieces,” seen as she only spends about an hour on each of them.

“I try not to spend a lot of time on it because of where they're going,” she says.

Next up on the artists’ docket, brightening up stinky structures in Vancouver, Alaska and the Yukon.

“What I really hope is that that I'm not the only one who does this,” she says, adding this could be an outlet for others as well.