There is no age limit to be an artist. Creativity is the sixth sense within us, but not everyone activates it. When one is surrounded by art and working artists, it’s easier to tap into the primal need to create.
I look at San Marcos as a case study for these theories. It is an open-air gallery with murals on every corner and interactive sculptures, such as our famous Mermaid March. Walking around downtown or along the San Marcos River is sure to spark some sort of inspiration. But inspiration can only go so far if you don’t have the materials or an avenue to pursue it.
Kids in San Marcos are fortunate because local organizations such as the San Marcos Art League are dedicated to including the younger generation into the town's creative culture.
For more than seven years, the San Marcos Art League has brought Art Scared to the downtown Square, giving school-aged kids the opportunity to showcase their paintings on one of the most active galleries, the downtown Square.
This public art installation is open to area children, grades kindergarten through 12, with participants invited to paint a section of a designated window with a fall or Halloween-themed image. It happens this year on Saturday, Oct. 24, with the painted windows remaining on display for the public to enjoy through early November.
Nancy Brown initiated Art Scared in 2020, when she joined the board of directors of the San Marcos Art League. She said, “San Marcos reminded me of the town I grew up in, Rye, N.Y., where a similar event was beloved by the community. When I saw the downtown area, especially the Square and the old courthouse, I thought maybe we could do the same thing here. It has always been a big deal in Rye and people still talk about it 50 years later.”
Over the years, the Art League, with the help of local schools and generous sponsors, has provided appropriate supplies and prizes. First, second and third place prizes are awarded at three different school age levels. All participants receive acknowledgment and leave the event with a gift bag and extra paint supplies to create more art at home.
Art Scared also coincides with the Art League’s special Arts Squared Spooky Market, a family-friendly Halloween-themed arts market on the Square, featuring arts and crafts with a Halloween theme which runs until 4 p.m.
As a window painter and muralist myself, it feels incredible to walk by your artwork in a space that you love and live in. To have your art decorate the streets that you walk every day is validating as an artist and an amazing gift for young artists to have.
As a child, I craved these opportunities in my suburban Dallas hometown. There was not a vibrant art scene like the one fostered in San Marcos and there were few opportunities to showcase our artwork aside from random coloring contests. I’d stay inside during recess to catch up on my drawings because creating was my favorite thing to do. But growing up in an environment where art wasn’t valued was tough; I was discouraged from pursuing art since it wasn’t a “real career.” I didn’t understand being creative could be a career or a well-developed lifetime hobby or lifestyle.
This ignorant belief had a big impact on me. I found myself struggling my first year at Texas State University, pursuing a “safe degree,” while flunking classes I was not passionate about. I was getting a better education on the streets of downtown San Marcos. I never knew a community could have so many local artists! And all the artists I met welcomed me with open arms and let me be a part of it.
The San Marcos art scene blew my mind as a “big” kid and I’m sure this impact is just as special on all the little kids who participate and actively get to be a part of it. They are inspired to be creative, even in a world which is trying to outsource human creativity.
