Paint the Town, in Morrison, IL, is a family festival for the visual arts. The event returns on Saturday, September 16, 2023, offering 1700 squares for painting. The entire downtown will be transformed again into an outdoor canvas of 5-foot squares. Each square will await the creative expressions of children, families, friends, and artists of all ages. Music and great food provide the backdrop for a fun day of painting on the streets.
This year, Paint the Town’s creating organization, The Children’s Art Preservation Association of Morrison (CAPA), honors the late Bob Ross, creator and host of the long-running PBS painting series, “The Joy of Painting.” For over a decade, Ross was a fixture on Public Television where viewers would tune in, follow along, and learn to paint. In reruns, Ross has inspired new generations to express their creativity. His relaxed, almost mindful, approach to learning to paint led to iconic Ross–isms while adding “happy little trees” and reminding viewers, “There are no mistakes, just happy accidents.” This year’s event t-shirt features a likeness of Ross, in a nod to his inspiration and artistry.
For a pre-registration fee of $20 ($25 after 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 16), you can register to paint a masterpiece alone or with someone.
Participants receive:
1. an assigned, 5 by 5-foot square pre-outlined on the street
2. an event bag of a primary color, water-based tempera paint set plus black and white
3. one narrow brush for lining and one wide brush for filling
4. chalk for sketching
5. cups, stirrers, and instructions for mixing colors
6. an event t-shirt
7. giveaway goodies from sponsors.
Local and regional sponsors help keep the cost to register lower.
Friends can register to paint together or put together a group of adjacent squares to make a larger canvas. There also will be a limited number of circular spaces available. Multiple participants must register together to reserve adjacent squares. For ease of picking up painting supplies, squares purchased for multiple names must be picked up under one designated purchasers’ name.
To register online, visit www.paintthetownmorrison.com. Check the website for more event details, including pictures from past Paint the Town’s and sponsor information.
Bob Ross said, “There’s an artist hidden at the bottom of every single one of us.” Register to paint a square at Paint the Town and release your artist!
CAPA welcomes and needs new volunteers to assist with Paint the Town, before and on the day of the event. If you can give an hour or two of your time to help, please text or phone Angela Reamer at 815-499-8128 or email, angela.reamer@gmail.com. You can also volunteer via the Paint the Town website.