A simple drive around town in the coming weeks will reveal new art pieces in the form of painted fish. The fish – rainbow trout -- are the project of a Healthy Dent County committee focused on improving health in Dent County, the Task Force for a Healthier Dent County.
“The fish are intended to whimsically and positively remind community members that in Dent County we need to focus on adopting a healthier lifestyle,” said committee member Liz Gruendel.
“We hope more and more, people will make positive decisions about the way they live their lives.”
The task force hopes that residents will recognize that health is a critical issue in Dent County. The scenes depicted on the fish are people engaged in healthy activities, such as canoeing or raking leaves.
County health rankings released last year show Dent County to rank 110th of the 115 counties. Although the rankings show many significant health issues in Dent County – such as obesity, lack of physical activity, heart disease, low birth rates in babies and more -- perhaps the most telling is called Years of Life Lost. They subtract the age of deceased people in the county from a normal life expectancy of 75 and consider those years lost years of productive life. In Dent County, numbers are high, which means, simply, that too many folks in Dent County die too soon.
The task force aims to change those numbers by increasing awareness and enabling parents and guardians to help children learn how to live healthy lives, with more physical activity, better food, no smoking, taking better care of their health by seeing doctors on a regular basis, and taking advantage of preventative testing.
Seven fish are ready to be installed in public places with lots of visibility including Salem High School circle drive, Salem Community Center @ The Armory, Dent County Courthouse, City Park, Dent County Fire Station, Tiger Trail at Salem Upper Elementary, and Dent County Health Center. Several other fish are in process. The fish were purchased through a grant awarded to the Task Force for a Healthier Dent County.
Many skillful artists crafted the fish. The forms were cut by welder Joas Yoder. The background painting, marked like a trout, was done by Gary Nash. The mural art on each fish was completed by Gary Nash, Tana Kettner, Amber Pryor, Wanda Nickles, Angela Dingess, Sally McColloch and her Upper Elementary art students, and Mason Whitaker, a senior at Salem High School.
“I learned a lot about the amazing art skills in our community as I worked with all of the artists who created the fish. As more people became involved, the project became a community effort,” said Gruendel.
Along with the healthy message the fish provide, there is hope that it will boost tourism as well. People may visit to see the bright and cheerful, and truly unique artwork and buy gas, eat in restaurants, and shop in stores, Gruendel said.
Any business or organization that wants to participate may purchase a fish. Those interested can place an order through the Healthy Dent County office at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory by May 15. The fish will be distributed in August and will become the property of the purchaser. Call 729-8163 for more details.
