Join citizensCREATE! on June 21 and 22 to experience the creative magic that occurs when a community of former strangers works together to produce a work of art.

citizensCREATE! is a non-profit encouraging "We the People" to explore creative necessity, thereby stimulating individual and collective vitality. The organization is committed to the public's innate desire to create and collaborate, which is essential to achieving and sustaining community prosperity.

They are aligned with these core principles:

• foster creative community through interactive public events
• enable artistic performance and display by citizens
• support arts education and awareness

Their projects establish community as the artist. Environments, supplies and a little guidance are provided for the public to contribute their creativity and collaborate on overall expressions. All artworks are virtually 100% passer-by created.  You can see some images of their previous projects at www.citizenscreate.org.

Art Is a Function of Community Creativity -
Universally, Historically, and Cross-Culturally

Reclaiming Creativity

For the 2007 Festival, citizensCREATE! saw a potential to "frame" things in ways that help expand the awareness of Art. To accomplish this, we integrated a scholarship component, thanks to sponsor National City, in which local college students were to research and present values of art through the lens of their respective fields of study. As a prelude to the typical onsite community painting project, attendees were guided through two interactive presentations given by the student finalists on an Anthropological and Psychological view of art. We feel confident that this approach encouraged a richer, more connected perspective and helped participants truly experience A Brush with Art.

As part of their scholarship requirements, the students submitted research papers in their fields. Click on their names to download a pdf version of their work.

Kristin Kant - graduate student in Anthropology at UK
Ande Seybert - undergrad student in Psychology at Midway College

View the slides from last year's project

It is part of the essential nature of humans
to create together