Grosse Pointe Art Center Hosts Kids’ Chalk Day

The on Friday and Saturday will host its first Sidewalk Chalk Art Day for kids outside its storefront in The Village.

The Art Center, which is home to the Grosse Pointe Artists Association, hopes to schedule several chalk days this summer. The activity is free, including the chalk, which will be provided by the Art Center. Association members have been encouraged to stop by during both afternoons to offer instruction and encouragement to kids as they draw on the sidewalks in front of and behind the building. The Art Center plans to provide popcorn and drinks and The Village will be passing out samples and coupons.

Joseph Murray, the Art Center’s gallery coordinator, said staff have at times given chalk to young passersby on a whim and invited them to make art on the sidewalk. The success of these “organic” chalk sessions inspired the Art Center to stage this more formal event, he said. Murray, who studied industrial design at Detroit’s Center for Creative Studies, said he and Art Center Director Amy DeBrunner will be on hand both days to assist the kids.

Art is by definition for people of all ages, but sidewalk chalk renderings have always been the “territory” of kids, Murray noted. “Writing on something you’re not normally supposed to is part of the allure, but it’s mostly the bright colors and the ability to express themselves in a place they know others will see” that get kids excited, he said. They’re also emboldened by chalk art's ephemeral nature. “The fact that it’s there one day and gone the next gives everyone confidence,” he added, “and there’s a social aspect too — it’s an opportunity to share ideas with each other, even if it’s an idea about a rabbit or a duck.”

The Art Center frequently looks for opportunities to conduct youth-centered outreach, said Murray. Last year it partnered with Detroit’s Capuchin Soup Kitchen to run a photography workshop for inner-city kids, and in the fall it partnered with in a “green” event showing kids how to recycle tee-shirts into grocery bags.

The Art Center offers an array of summer art classes for children. Information on schedules and tuition is available at its Web site under "Exhibitions & Events."