Art students canvas Plains to spread holiday cheer

Early on a recent December morning, around 30 art students from Kristen Coles’ class descended on 14 Plains businesses. Their canvases for the day were the windows along Railroad Avenue. Their goal: Bring color and cheer to the business district for all to see. 

Many of the art students participated for the first time in what has been a tradition for almost 20 years. The budding artists broke up into groups of two and three, with painting supplies in hand and designs in mind, ranging from Christmas trees and Santa’s sleigh to the Grinch. 

Art students LeAnna Demars, Emma Dimond, Brady Tucker, Atlas Owens and Shay Nelson shared their talents on the windows of the Circle. The effort had the added benefit of temporarily freeing them from the classroom, they said.

“It’s fun and gets me out of school,” said Nelson, a freshman.  

Circle owner Joe Camboa said window painting has been a tradition for many years. The Circle started back on July 4, 1969. The building was originally a grain silo owned by the Larson Ranch. 

Lyla MacDonald and Montana Taylor were busy painting a Santa at Mt West Dentist.   

“We are doing it for the holiday spirit,” MacDonald said.   

“It’s fun and I enjoy [painting] with friends,” Taylor added.  

This is the third year Mt West Dentist has had the students paint their windows.  

The Printery continued its long-standing window painting tradition with junior Ashton Riek and sophomore Jalen Petterson adding a colorful Christmas tree to its windows. 

Sanders County Library took part for the first time. Director Kikki Ericksen said the staff had to move things around to be able to give senior Jasmine Trull and juniors Jullian Keeney and Steve Anderson room to paint.  

Mayor Joel Banham toured the finished window painting effort before adding his praise. 

“It was wonderful," he said. 

The artists share their talents at no cost to the business. It is a community service that the school provides.  

The following businesses also took part: McGowan Grocery, Stockman’s Bank, Em’s Café, USPS, Studs, Fabric Pixie, 406 Outlet, Clark Fork Valley Hospital and Mountain West Clothing.

    Freshman LeAnna Demarss works on a Christmas tree painting at the Plains Circle restaurant. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)