The bathrooms at Bear’s on Line Avenue in Shreveport will get an upgrade from eight local artists.
by Ariel Roberson, ShrevePossible
Most adults are no stranger to the lackluster artistry of a standard dive-bar bathroom, with Sharpie art saying, “CALL ********,” doodled graffiti, and even the occasional love note. Bears owner Colton Johnson has reignited an idea to elevate their bathrooms with a fresh look.
Johnson has commissioned eight Shreveport artists to revamp the four bathrooms at Bear’s, with two artists teaming up for each. The final designs will be a joint effort, producing four distinct new looks.
“Well, I thought about this probably a year or two ago, and I had some people on board, but it just kind of fell through,” Johnson said. “I’d say our restrooms are probably the weakest point as far as the artistic side of the bar. You walk in and everywhere you look, there’s something cool to look at. And then you go to the bathrooms. It’s just dark, nothing on the walls, except terrible graffiti. Nothing is fun.
“I’ve been to places that, you go to the restroom, and each restroom has a theme, or they got something cool going on. And I think it’d be cool. Better than, you know, just a dreary bathroom. And this musician played here a couple of weeks ago, and he rated our bathroom. Three out of five. He said, ‘It was boring.’”
The bathroom revamp is set to be completed “ideally within a month, but definitely within the first quarter of the year” Johnson said. Customers in need of relief need not worry in the meantime. Bear’s ensures minimal disruption to customers by scheduling the installations during non-business hours.
Each artist will have full reign over visual ideas, with one condition: not to include any sculpture or 3D element.
Following the completion of the art installation, Johnson plans to host an artist reception. For artists who weren’t chosen for the bathrooms project, he’s planning to spruce up the area near Bear’s kitchen with something special.
Stay in the loop on what’s to come or pop in for the many Bear’s events, and when nature calls, plan to say hello in a new creative space.
