The makeover is comprised of art originally drawn by local students, which now local adult artists have taken to create a wide variety of art, ranging from paintings to sculptures to photo collages. The Tuscaloosa News is the founder of the annual event.
“The idea evolved a little more than five years ago, from a website where an adult artist was interpreting his kids’ drawings,” said Mark Hughes Cobb, an employee of the Tuscaloosa News and creator and sponsor of the event. “We multiplied that by a classroom or two and a matching number of grown artists.”
This year’s event features work inspired by 45 pieces created by Tuscaloosa Academy’s first and second grade classes.
The exhibit culminates Thursday, Oct. 30, with an event lasting from 5 to 9 p.m. The event will feature green screen Halloween-themed photos, a cupcake design contest sponsored by GiGi’s cupcakes, a trunk-or-treat and a performance by local band “The Resident Evils.”
“The event is an auction and Halloween festival,” Transportation Museum Director Shaina Strom said. “The Tuscaloosa Public Library next door will also host a haunted walk-through in their parking lot. But most importantly, the art in the exhibit will be auctioned off to raise funds for local school art programs.”
The Monster Makeover Arts Education Grant program has a goal this year to reach $20,000, after raising around $16,000 for arts education programs in the past four years.
“Basically, I hope everyone comes to jiggle around in their noggins a little, remember being that kind of goofy, and loving the thrill of the scare,” Cobb said.
The Transportation Museum is located at 1901 Jack Warner Pkwy, NE., next to the public library. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed for lunch.
