Paint the Town
 In
1994, the Children’s Art Preservation Associations, CAPA, created Paint
the Town as a way to offer hands-on experience in the arts that was fun
and affordable for all. Paint the Town continues to grow in
response to the event’s rise in popularity.
The focus of the festival is the painting of Main Street by children,
families, and individuals. Morrison’s Main Street and adjoining downtown
area is blocked off, creating an outdoor canvas consisting of five
blocks. Five-foot squares are painted on the street with an isle between
to allow workspace and foot traffic. Each participant receives a bag
containing paint and painting supplies, and a logo T-shirt.
The number of squares painted has grown each year, from 250 in 1994
to 732 painted by almost 1000 children and their families in the year
2000.
 Paint
pickup and painting begins at 12:00 pm and continues until approximately
4:00 pm. A few participants continued to work on their piece until
6:00 pm. Other activities, like music, hands on activities, and food
continue alongside the painting. Entertainment is provided
throughout the day and continues until 10:00 pm or 11:00 pm from a stage
at the center of the painting area in the downtown. A food court is
adjacent to the stage area and offers different foods provided by local
service organizations and local businesses.
 The day after Paint the Town, the
streets are again closed to allow people to walk the street, view the
art, and take pictures. Entertainment is provided by a string quartet
and food usually accompanies this event. During the morning, photographs
of each square are taken. Once developed, they are mounted on large
display boards and are on display at a sponsoring business for a period
of three to four weeks where the public can view them. A double is
produced of each photo and made available to the artist at no charge.
For more information about CAPA or Paint the Town, click here to visit their
website, or call City Hall, (815) 772-7657.
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