By Kids of all ages dipped brushes into bright paint, covering large wooden letters that spelled out “THE CREEK” at Mill Race Park in downtown Battle Creek, Mich.
The hands-on mural was just one art activity at the fifth annual Color the Creek Youth Day, held Aug. 13. Children also created chalk murals, experimented with botanical printmaking with Plumeria Boutique, tie-dyed T-shirts with New Union Market, spray-painted with local artists and cooled off with free ice cream.
The event, supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, is part of the week-long Color the Creek festival, which has brought more than 60 large-scale murals to neighborhoods across the city since 2016.
Justin Andert, founder and director of Color the Creek, said Youth Day has always been at the heart of the project.
“A big part of Color the Creek from day one has been trying to inspire the local community, and so the youth is a huge part of that,” Andert said. “Obviously, we want to build up the next generation of local talented artists. And so to expose the young people to these different art activities, different ways that they can express themselves, has always been a really rewarding piece of Color the Creek.”
Andert added that the event continues to grow each year, attracting more families, sponsors and community partners.
“It really is truly a community effort,” Andert said. “There are people on all sides of the spectrum that come together to support this. So, we have folks that make it financially possible, like our amazing sponsors. And then we have an amazing community of artists that like to be involved. So, they bring their talents in different ways.”
Chalk muralist Gerald Barton worked on a flower near the park’s waterfall fountain, his artwork blending into a patchwork of children’s vibrant chalk creations.
“If we’re not helping nurture or grow young artists, we won’t have old artists,” Barton said. “That’s my favorite part. I had lots of opportunities like this as a kid, and I just want to be an example for young people to see what’s possible.”
Families said they appreciated both the creativity and the community atmosphere.
“We came out here last year and the tie dye part is our favorite,” said Battle Creek native Showna Hagedorn. “I love it. When I’m driving around, it uplifts me and makes me happy. It gives me energy.”
Hagedorn’s daughter, Averi Cochran, said the day combined her two favorite things — playing in the park and drawing. She beamed as she pointed to the “THE CREEK” mural and declared, “I painted it!”
Nicole Derushia, an art teacher at Minges Brook Elementary, attended with her two sons and young relatives visiting from out of town. She said the event is an invaluable teaching tool.
“It just exposes the kids to different art forms,” Derushia said. “You’re getting probably every medium. Here we have the muralist, the graffiti work, the tie dye … having them be exposed to different varieties, different mediums, different artists, different styles, and just seeing what they like.”
Derushia said she often tells her students that art is not limited to museums.
“You don’t have to go to a fancy museum,” she said. “There’s all different kinds of art. What you’re doing is just as much an art form that someone’s going to love as something you see at a fancy museum and have to pay for.”
As children left with colorful shirts, chalk-covered hands and big smiles, Andert reflected on the event’s growth over time.
“I think we’ll definitely have our record turnout here by the end of the day,” he said.
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