Tam Art Students Tag Downtown

A band of high school students paraded around downtown Mill Valley with spray chalk Tuesday afternoon, tagging stenciled graffiti on sidewalks.

But these weren't the latest teen entrants into the police blotter. The students were part of a quasi-official marketing campaign for the upcoming Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival. The sidewalk stencils directed people to the festival's Web site and a raffle that city officials hope will drum up local business during festival weekend, set for Sept. 25-26.

The project, sketched out by Tam High AP Studio Art teacher and festival president Lynne Klein, sent 15 of her students out to spray chalk the stencils, which were derived from the "Show of Hands" theme developed for the festival poster by San Francisco designer Michael Osborne.

"The lesson here is that an artist communicates visually," Klein said. "It's a hands-on class."

Klein's students got the benefit of a school trip that involved creating art rather than more traditional field trips like museum visits.

"It's a nice way to go around in your community instead of being in the art room all the time," said senior Katie Royce. "It's fun to create some art out here."

The project is part of a larger guerilla marketing campaign under the auspices of the Business Advisory Board, which was given $35,000 in city funds to find creative ways to drum up local business, particularly downtown. To date, the board has promoted the "Dipsea Deals" program as well as the popular RSVP parking sticker program.

The Fall Arts Festival's Web site is hosting a raffle that will feature several prizes, including Cannelloni, Comedy and Comfort, a date night prize that features a dinner at La Ginestra, two tickets to the Tuesday night Mark Pitta and Friends comedy night at the 142 Throckmorton and a night at the Mill Valley Inn. Tyler Florence, Balboa Cafe, Mill Valley Market, Spot Pet Care, Noci Gelateria, All Wrapped Up, Teresa's Nails, Jeneen's Skincare, Grilly's and Malugani Tires have also offered up raffle prizes.

All raffle entrants get $1 off admission ($8 general, $5 students and seniors) to the festival.

The stencil project will likely be followed up with a larger public art installation in Depot Plaza, also based around the "Show of Hands" theme, that will involve a diverse group of community members. The sculpture will be created Sunday, Sept. 19 and will be a wooden "tree" approximately 8 feet in diameter and 8 feet tall, constructed in a bucket. The sculpture would remain in Depot Plaza for two days and them move to Old Mill Park, site of the arts festival.

The proposal will go before the Mill Valley Parks and Recreation Commission Wednesday night.