If you’ve driven in downtown Poplar Bluff lately, you may have noticed a bit of an invasion of amphibians.
More specifically, you might have seen several frogs along the streets. And, if they made you smile, their creators have succeeded in reaching their goal.
The eight frog paintings, hung as vinyl signs on poles along Vine and Main streets, are part of the “Art Blooms in Poplar Bluff” program devised by Tara Brown, an art instructor at the Margaret Harwell Art Museum.
Each piece of art, she said, was created by the students in her weekly classes at the museum, who range from 7 to 15 years old.
The featured artists include Jordan Shock, Megan Inman, Miley Baker, Stavia Blaich, Avri Lowe, Chloe Rains, Austin Birchfield and Emma Keele.
“We picked those two corners particularly because it seems like there’s a lot of weight on people when they come to the courthouse, so we wanted to see if we could get them to smile a little,” Brown said.
The art, Brown said, is a gift to the community.
“As adults, we all enjoyed the time when our children were young and created art for us. We hope this makes the community smile and brings back memories of when their children made art for them,” she said.
And, Brown said, she’s heard good things about the display.
“We’ve had great feedback from the community about it,” she said. “They said it just really made them happy to see kids’ art when they’re driving up and down through here.”
For the young artists, Brown said, the project also is about getting past their insecurities and understanding their art “doesn’t have to be perfect.”
“As artists, they can each tell you where they messed up on their art, but as a community, we just see their frog and hopefully feel the love they created it with,” Brown said.
For a lot of the students, Brown said, this is the first time as an artist to have their art displayed, “so it also helps them get their names out as an artist.
“As you get older, that’s something as an artist you have to be OK with. You can’t be too shy.”
The frog theme, Brown said, was chosen so there would be uniformity among the paintings, but each is unique in its own way.
“I gave them the subject of frogs, and they took it from there,” Brown said. “Some have hats, one is frowning, and they just did their own thing.”
The art will be displayed until sometime in mid-June, Brown said, and given the positive feedback she’s received, she plans to continue the program, each spring in an effort to brighten the spirits of those in the area.
“Earth without art is ‘eh,’ Brown said, and we’re trying to make it less ‘eh.’”