"We Are All Artists"

"WHOA!!!!"

"I did that!"

"I had no idea I could paint like this!"
-5th grader

"This is unbelievable! It used to be just the hallway between here and there, but now I want to make a special trip to come this way. It is an experience!"
-Parent

"Your dream is my dream too."
-1st grader, in response to Ms. Olmsted's sharing of her childhood dream to be an artist.

Above are all quotes from people working with Caren Frost Olmsted on her expansive collaborative mural projects. The students, teachers, and parent volunteers who work on these murals not only help beautify their public spaces, but they also get to participate in an art project that is much larger than themselves. Often they learn that they have much more talent & ability than they ever thought possible! The way in which these projects are designed allows for both advanced & untrained artists to enjoy the creative process and have high levels of success.

For school residencies, please contact Caren at info@cfodesign.com or The Arts Council of the Morris Area through their webpage: www.morrisarts.org.

Each year Central School has a special residency project for their 5th graders. This year, they transformed one of their hallways! The theme proposed by the students was "The Six Pillars of Character." Each section of the mural represented one of the pillars. This was an 8-day residency with 120 5th grade students and over 20 volunteers.

Every single student at St. Vincent Martyr School, pre-K to 8th grade, got to paint part of their grand mural illustrating the school, rectory, church, downtown Madison, Mother Mary and of course, St. Vincent Martyr. This was an 8-day residency with about 350 students grade students and over 40 volunteers.

[click here to read the press this project received]

Caren worked with a high school art student to develop the design for a historical mural at Farmstead Arts in their 1770's farmhouse. This was a weekend workshop intensive.

After 640 student artists, 70 volunteers, and one artist were let loose with paint brushes, the cafeteria at Oak Street School was radically transformed in celebration of the school’s 70th anniversary and Bernards Township's 250th anniversary!

[click here to read the press this project received]

Working outside in a steamy New Jersey July, Caren and over 30 volunteers (ages 12-16) completely revitalized a dingy alleyway wall. Caren and the volunteers created the design & the volunteers played a large role in painting items into the mural.

[click here to read the press this project received]

Caren created a black and white outline on a 4x16 piece of canvas, laid out some fun colors and handed out brushes. Two hours later the canvas was covered and Caren did some touch ups. This exuberant piece of work hangs in the local Burger King.

[click here to read the press this project received]