PLAP Rocks hopes to spread cheer and art throughout city

As the melting snow allows people to see the ground again, members of the community are trying to share their passion for art in a way that gets people out and about.

PLAP Rocks is a Facebook group that member Barb Knott calls a kindness movement. The idea is to paint rocks and then leave them out in public places so that others can either collect or hide them again.

"The reason we're PLAP Rocks is because there's a Portage Rocks already in the States," explains Knott. "When this group started, PLAP was chosen because everyone knows that means Portage la Prairie."

She adds that artists of all ages and skill levels partake in the group and it's completely free to jump in and get involved. She says that rocks can be placed all over Portage, except for private property or inside businesses.

"It's pretty random," explains Knott when asked about where rocks are usually hidden. "The rocks that I paint, I tend to put out on walks around Island Park or Pixie Lane."

She recommends that new artists wait for the weather to dry up before spreading their painted rocks, as the wetness could wash away their hard work.