Rather than picking roses, young children rolled clay to create ceramic roses, and they bloomed on Central Avenue last week as the latest art project in Peekskill’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) was installed.

Under the guiding hand of Brazilian artist Simone Kestelman, Peekskill children in grades K through 2 created clay flowers that were then fired and painted. With the assistance of developer James Guerriero and his team, they were ‘potted’ and placed in the pocket of green space next to the Peekskill Garden Club’s Petals Garden at the top of Central Avenue.

Across the street, on the wall facing the planters, is a mural designed and painted by high school and middle school students, produced as part of an in-school-residency with artist Lance Johnson, formerly of Mt. Vernon, now a resident of Columbus, Ohio.

The mural is based on the poem and book by Tupac Shakur, ‘The Rose that Grew from Concrete.’ Hudson Valley Museum Of Contemporary Art Co-Founder and President Livia Straus envisioned a project that would highlight the art partnership between the museum and the Peekskill City School District, one that would draw attention to the talent of Peekskill’s youngest residents.

The project was two years in the making. Done collaboratively with the district’s art faculty, the original mural is installed in the high school’s STEAM wing. Art instructors who were involved were Heather Brown, Liz Tabone along with Mara Mills of HVMOCA Education coordinator.