FEB. 3, 2011 -- You can join Chesterfield Arts in painting a new, 500-foot floodwall in the Chesterfield Valley. Chesterfield Arts assembled more than 60 middle and high school students to design and facilitate the painting of the 600-foot mural project for the new Chesterfield Monarch Levee Floodwall.

Chesterfield Arts, along with this amazing student leadership team, are inviting the entire community to attend a free event for all ages to help paint this monumental, color-by-number mural on Saturday, June 4.

Since last July, the student leadership team has been brainstorming, designing, beginning grassroots marketing campaigns, and working through the project logistics. Last fall, this innovative team unveiled their thought-provoking mural design to parents, sponsors, city officials and the media.

The final design concept for the mural is a message of progress. At the beginning of the mural, the viewer experiences a feeling of separation; towards the end, the viewer senses the unity of people coming together in community.

As team member Jocelyn Sheffield, a junior at Westminster Christian Academy explains, "Even though we wanted the mural to connect with all people, we really wanted to center it around Chesterfield and the St. Louis area -- everything from the ice cream cones of the 1904 World's Fair, to the steam boats, trains, and iconic Arch that marks this as the 'Gateway to the West.'"

As Stacey Morse, Executive Director of Chesterfield Arts, commented, "This project represents opportunities. The opportunity to create a major work of art in the community is exciting and important, but we wanted to design a project that would provide an experience for the kids beyond just the creation of art. These student leaders will leave this project with tangible skills that they will be able to carry forward in their future pursuits -- life, community service, and careers."

"Make Your Mark" takes place at the intersection of Edison Blvd. and Baxter Road in Chesterfield on Saturday, June 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.chesterfieldarts.org or call 636-519-1955.

Chesterfield Arts is a non-profit community arts organization dedicated to fostering the growth of the visual, performing and literary arts within the City of Chesterfield and the West County region. To cultivate enthusiasm in a variety of artistic mediums, Chesterfield Arts presents a diverse mix of performing arts programs, exhibits high-quality artwork by professional artists and hosts educational classes for all ages.

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