From August 6 thru September 4, Greater Flint residents were presented with an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Founded in 2003 with the mission to “preserve and share humanity’s stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world,” StoryCorps, partnered with Michigan Radio, arrived in Flint to record the hopes, thoughts and histories of our community.

If you have been motoring around Flint this summer, you may have seen artists at work covering the city with beautiful, colorful murals. Their creations are brought to you courtesy of the Flint Public Art Project (FPAP) as they begin Phase 1 of their goal to paint 100 new murals in Flint by the end of summer 2020. The project is ahead of schedule and by the end of this summer, 50 awe-inspiring works of art will be finished. My City Magazine spoke with Flint Public Art Project executive director, Joe Schipani, who filled us in on art, the birth of the mural project and the upcoming First International Mural Festival.

When Marissa Pierce joined the Flint Institute of Arts (FIA) as the public and community relations co-ordinator a few years ago, the organization was searching for a new and better way to include the younger generation of art enthusiasts. “FIA was seeking to create an organization in the museum that would reach out to our young members to get them more engaged,” explains Pierce. “Additionally, we get a lot of people to come to the museum and see our exhibitions, but we really wanted those people to become invested in the FIA and experience it in a different, more in-depth way.” The Contemporaries is an answer that fulfills both requirements.

Genesee County Schools boast some wonderful Visual Arts programs! The teachers strive to boost the students’ self-esteem, problem-solving skills and intelligence, while cultivating their individual creativity. MCM was granted access to the spaces where young artists enjoy true freedom of expression, and invited them to talk about what art education means to them.

Located in a far corner of the Flint Farmers’ Market is a small shop full of wonderful things, some of rare and unusual beauty. Art at the Market is where artists, mainly from Genesee County, display and sell their works. One such artist is James Draper of Burton. “I call it Vitrea Art Glass©,” says Draper of his newest pieces. “It’s a complete reversal from what I did when I first started.”