On Monday, October 8, 2018 members of the DeWitt Creativity Group traveled to Jackson, Michigan to attend the Bright Walls Mural Festival. As part of the trip, DHS students toured the Masonic Temple building in downtown Jackson (the future home of the Jackson School of the Arts) and Michigan Theater of Jackson. This was a great opportunity for students to see firsthand the placemaking efforts of a city to become more vibrant and exciting. Here is a brief summary of the festival:
In its inaugural year, Bright Walls brought 14 national and international artists to paint large scale public art murals in downtown Jackson, Michigan. For six days, the city was full with live mural painting, musical performances, food trucks and artistic workshops of all kinds.
We want to thank our team, our partners, the artists, the building owners and our community for the amazing support of the festival. We look forward to seeing all the amazing photos everyone takes of the murals! Stay bright, Jackson!
Many of the DCG members were impressed by the quality of the murals. They had the opportunity to witness several in the process of being created. Additionally, students discovered interesting shops and restaurants in the downtown. Several commented on their desire to come back to an up and coming place that clearly embraces civic creativity as a core strategy for revitalization. This is a trip many of them (the students) will not forget. Many thanks to Amy Fracker of the Jackson School of the Arts and Steve Tucker of the Michigan Theater of Jackson for the tours of two amazing facilities that comprise the creative infrastructure of downtown Jackson!
To hear and see student reactions, please check out the recent podcast of Students United: Mobile Minds Flipping Society on the Michigan Business Network:
https://www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/blog/author/students-united-mobile-minds-flipping-society
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