Who said art has to be framed and hung on a wall? Art students from Camas High School, members of the Downtown Camas Association (DCA), and the City of Camas are working on a downtown art project that will bring color and vibrancy to the street intersections that frame the Camas Farmer’s Market.
The sophomores of the CHS Integrated Arts and Academics program will be helping to paint street murals designed by their peer, Brianna Cloutier, along with members of the DCA and the City of Camas. The painting is scheduled for Friday afternoon, May 13, 2016 on 4th Avenue near City Hall and the Camas Public Library.
Caroline Mercury, the Board President of the DCA and chair of the Design Committee, brought the idea of doing a street emblem (or mural) to Downtown Camas after seeing the transformation of a neighborhood city intersection in the Arnada neighborhood in Vancouver. These murals are painted directly on the street adding color and a design aesthetic. The DCA Design Committee thought that doing street murals in the intersections on both sides of the Camas Farmer’s Market block would be a nice tribute to what the market brings to town and create more of a sense of place.
Inspired by having students contributing to a real life art project in the community, Gina Mariotti Shapard had her 28 freshman students design art with the guidelines that it needed to be able to be reproduced on a street intersection scale and that the art should reflect the feel of the Camas Farmer’s Market. All of the entries of hand drawn art were submitted to the DCA Design Committee and the design of Brianna Cloutier was chosen. The murals will be approximately 20’ x 20’ in both intersections by the market.
“It’s exciting to be painting the street mural for the Camas Farmer’s Market in my home town where I’m growing up,” says Paton Bates, sophomore in the CHS Integrated Arts & Academics program. “We can leave a mark, especially artwork that the program (IAA) can take pride in. It’s a wonderful opportunity to be able connect with the community in our school work.”
As part of Camas High School, students of IAA experience a unique learning opportunity in which their passion for the visual and performing arts merges with the academics to cultivate critical thinking, creativity, and community as they prepare for college, any career field, and life. For more information on this program, visit Integrated Arts and Academics.
