MIDDLEBORO – From snowy sidewalks to smiling polar bears, the banners hanging in downtown Middleboro received a winter-esque makeover thanks to Art on the Spot students. 

The Planning Assistant for the town of Middleboro, Joseph Mandile, said that the banner project has “grown into something so much better, so much more diverse, and with so much more local involvement than we ever thought it could.”

According to Mandile, the winter banner project was created to fill the gap left by the Hometown Hero banners after they were taken down for the winter months. He said that the Hometown Hero banners will be put back up before Memorial Day 2024 

“The Town Manager really didn’t want to have the space left vacant,” said Mandile. He explained that the Planning Department wanted to avoid having a Christmas theme for all of the banners, since they will be up past the holiday.

In an effort to keep the project local, the Planning Department contacted Art on the Spot studio owner Kara Andrews see if her students were up for the task of designing banners.

Andrews has operated Art on the Spot for 25 years. The studio is located on West Grove Street and offers fine art classes for students ages six to sixteen. 

She said that 38 students participated in the project.   

“This banner project has been such a learning experience for the kids and it's just been phenomenal,” said Andrews. 

Students participated in a brainstorming session during class and came up with winter themes to include in their designs. 

“We ended up having 30 or 40 different things to think about [like] ice skating, skiing, gnomes, snow and lodges and all sorts of cool stuff,” said Andrews. 

Students used a wide range of mediums to complete their banners, including pastel, marker crayons and even graphic design programs. 

Andrews said that the banner project gave her students hands-on experience with the business aspect of being an artist. 

“When we got the call, we were under a really tight deadline,” said Andrews. “When you're creating these pieces or learning how to do art, it's about becoming an artist, and displaying your art is part of being an artist…they stepped up to the challenge.”

An art show displaying the banner designs will be held at the Middleboro Public Library on Wednesday, Dec. 13 from 5 to 7:30 p.m.