Morrison graduate’s talent showcased at upcoming Paint the Town

MORRISON – This year’s Paint the Town shirt design, “Peace, Love, Paint,” is the creation of graphic artist and Morrison native Gracen Harmon.

Harmon, a 2020 graduate of Morrison High School, is a recent graduate of Northern Illinois University who earned a bachelor’s degree in science with an emphasis in visual communication and marketing. She also earned an associate degree in arts from Sauk Valley Community College.

“I have loved Paint the Town ever since I was a little girl,” Harmon said of the event, which will be Saturday, Sept. 21, in downtown Morrison.

Her love for Paint the Town has continued to grow from when she was little girl painting a square each year.

“I made it my mission to get more involved in Paint the Town,” she said.

Morrison’s downtown will be transformed into an outdoor canvas for hundreds of amateur artists of all ages who gather to paint the town Saturday. The Children’s Art Preservation Association created this family art event, which debuted in 1994, as a way for the community to participate in the arts together, as families and individuals. The focus of the event is painting 5-foot squares on and around Morrison’s Main Street.

The number of squares painted has grown steadily since the event’s debut 30 years ago, when 250 squares were painted, to more than 1,600 squares by more than 2,000 children, families and individuals during Paint the Town. Annually, more than 6,000 attend the event to enjoy the painting, variety of entertainment and food, according to the Paint the Town website.

Harmon’s involvement has gone beyond painting a square on the street. Throughout junior high and high school, she joined her fellow art class students to design and paint downtown windows, even helping to guide some of the junior high creations.

As her own artistic sense was expanding and developing, she was determined to one day design the artwork for the event T-shirt. In 2023, just before graduating from NIU, Harmon joined the Paint the Town board to assist with social media awareness and marketing.

This year, her arts background is front and center as her design was selected as the official event T-shirt to reflect the 2024 Paint the Town theme of “Peace, Love, Paint” as an homage to the 1960s and early 1970s cultural revolution.

“Gracen perfectly captured the vibe we were looking for,” Paint the Town co-Chairwoman Barb Bees said. “She made the ‘60s era come alive on Morrison’s historic Main Street. We look forward to working with Gracen’s future designs.”

Harmon is excited about realizing the dream of designing a Paint the Town shirt.

“I was so excited to work with the project and see it come to life before my eyes, and I’m so proud of how it came out,” she said. “I hope everyone enjoys this year’s Paint the Town.”

In addition to her art, Harmon also manages Peanut Butter & Deli in downtown Morrison.

To register to paint a square on Morrison’s Main Street and to get one of Harmon’s T-shirts, visit paintthetownmorrison.com.