While the wall the art will eventually be placed on remains barren, the people responsible for planning the proposed Orphan Train mural in Dowagiac remain hard at work.

In the coming days, lead artist Ruth Andrews plans to visit Justus Gage Elementary, where she will take photos of several children as reference material for one the segments of the mural. While the faces and attire of the children will inevitably be changed in the final rendition of the mural, there is no doubt each of the models will recognize themselves when they finally see it on the wall located on Pennsylvania Avenue downtown.

According to Andrews, using real people from Dowagiac in this manner will help give the community a greater sense of ownership of the final product, which makes perfect sense. By instilling that sense of responsibility from the onset, residents of Dowagiac will no doubt be even more inspired to promote the work and to ensure it remains pristine for years to come.

In past editorials, we have expressed our support for the Orphan Train mural, which we will feel will not only boost Dowagiac but the surrounding communities. If anything, perhaps the work will inspire other local artists to create something beautiful in their communities.

Of course, getting children involved with the project is a particular stroke of genius, in our humble opinions.

In a community as rich in the arts as Dowagiac, with its various public sculptures, its beloved community playhouse and its popular Dogwood Fine Arts Festival, children are immersed in the humanities from birth.

However, there is the real possibility that this fact would cause them to take such works for granted.

By using these students for the piece, though, Andrews is actively engaging them with the creative process, showing them a few of the steps it takes to turn an artist’s vision into a tangible work.

And no doubt, the children will tell all their friends about the fact they are, in some form or another, inside the work, which may inspire even more budding minds to take an interest in art.

This is something every community should take a look at, as the more young people they get interested in the arts, the better.

We wish Andrews and the rest of the mural crew luck with the rest of the project. We cannot wait to see what they come up with when the project is finished.

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of General Manager Ambrosia Neldon and editors Scott Novak and Ted Yoakum.