The Observation Deck

Something to brighten this fabulous pre-Halloween weekend, check out the Halloween paintings up and down the windows on Detroit, before they melt away in the rain.

Painting had to be finished by Thursday-- and Wednesday and Thursday were fantastic days for painting, sunny in the seventies-- judging was yesterday, and today is the Artist Awards Ceremony and Reception at the Beck Center. Monetary awards and gift certificates are provided by the same businesses that allow their windows to be painted.(Thank you very much to them, and their customers. The painters do tend to spread out, in our case with drop cloths, ladders, 12 colors of paint, and about 20 sponge brushes and it takes a long time to get it just right...)

There are prizes in every category and a reception that instead of hors d'ouevres and wine has lemonade, punch, cookies, pizza and a lot of candy. The artists get to mix with their public and discuss the inspiration for their ideas. One of the best parties of the year. The Beck Center and the Chamber of Commerce really do it up, making the artists feel that they are all talented and valuable contributors to Lakewood's artscape.

Here are some of the works of art:


This one is an entry in the family category. You can sign up to have your whole family paint a window.


This is an entry in the elementary school category. Very scary, look at that mouth. The rain has probably made this one even scarier.


This one is entered in the group category. This ghost apartment was done by an entire Cub Scout troop, and they got theirs finished on Day One! which was last Sunday.

(We finished ours in the dark Thursday night, it was like August. What happened?)

Take a look, they won't be around much longer. Another great year. (My son is three times as tall as he was when we first started this.)

Betsy Voinovich

WAY COOL!!

It's a shame that this contest is restricted to the West Side.

From Lakewood Chamber website:
"Halloween Window Painting Contest Returns
The Lakewood Chamber of Commerce and Beck Center for the Arts are decorating the West End of Lakewood for Halloween! The 8th Annual West End Halloween Window Walk is a nod back to the 1950s when Lakewood storefronts were painted by school children each fall. It’s unique to our community, and it’s a fun project for individual artists, families, groups of friends, school clubs, and – back in 2012 – the window painting contest is open to Adults!"

Who wants to help me and my wife (teaching artist Jeanne Grossetti) ensure that this opportunity extends to the East End next year, too?


"unique to our community?" ... I remember doing this growing up during the 1960s -1970s in my hometown of Gt. Barrington, Massachusetts.

Peter Grossetti wrote:WAY COOL!!

It's a shame that this contest is restricted to the West Side.

From Lakewood Chamber website:
"Halloween Window Painting Contest Returns
The Lakewood Chamber of Commerce and Beck Center for the Arts are decorating the West End of Lakewood for Halloween! The 8th Annual West End Halloween Window Walk is a nod back to the 1950s when Lakewood storefronts were painted by school children each fall. It’s unique to our community, and it’s a fun project for individual artists, families, groups of friends, school clubs, and – back in 2012 – the window painting contest is open to Adults!"

Who wants to help me and my wife (teaching artist Jeanne Grossetti) ensure that this opportunity extends to the East End next year, too?


"unique to our community?" ... I remember doing this growing up during the 1960s -1970s in my hometown of Gt. Barrington, Massachusetts.

Peter--- what a great picture!

One of the comments that Patty Ryan of the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce made at the Awards Ceremony, is that it's a dream of the Chamber to have every window in the city painted. She mentioned that when the Window walks started 7 years ago, they only went from the bridge to St. James. Now the participating businesses go all the way east to Arthur. Every year they gain more ground.

It was a great ceremony.



This is a not very good picture of the winners in the Kindergarten through 2nd grade category, along with presenters Cindy Einhouse, CEO of Beck Center, Representative Nickie Antonio (who had a full day today) and Patty Ryan. Not pictured is Ed Gallagher from the Beck Center. The Honorable Mention went to Grace Gray and the "Best in show" to Julia Kompier.


Here are Julia's skeletons in day-glow bikinis relaxing in their tanning beds at "Max SkeleTan." This was the first year Max Tan participated and they were very excited to have all of their windows painted. They also sponsored the prize for the "adult category." (Adult meaning over 18.)


Here is the winner of the "Best in show" for the adult category. The person who painted this also participated in the original Window Walk paintings, 30 years ago.

Everybody had a great time.

Betsy Voinovich

Betsy Voinovich wrote: One of the comments that Patty Ryan of the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce made ... is that it's a dream of the Chamber to have every window in the city painted.

Dreams CAN come true Perhaps Ms. Ryan would like to get ahold of me and we can muster a large team of folks who will ensure that this dream comes true ... for the kids!!

"Children's talent to endure stems from their ignorance of alternatives." ~Maya Angelou