Summer youth art camp adds colorful murals to Kershaw Park bathhouse

• By DAVID L. SHAW dshaw@fltimes.com

  Aug 22, 2025

CANANDAIGUA — Visitors to the bathhouse at Kershaw Park are seeing an explosion of colors on its interior walls this summer. That includes a painting of the Canandaigua Lady tour boat and a huge map of the 11 Finger Lakes that greets visitors as soon as they walk into the building.

The art is the handiwork of Courtney Austin, an art teacher at Canandaigua Elementary School, and about 200 children ages 7-14 who signed up for a summer art camp through the city Recreation Department. Austin’s summer job is to direct the art camp, which is called Paints & Recreation.

At 6 p.m. today, the camp will conduct a grand unveiling of its art work. Mayor Bob Palumbo and other city officials will be there to cut the symbolic ribbon marking the completion of the art project. There will be food vendors too.

“The city picks the location, and the city manager and deputy city manager approve the overall theme or design of the art,” Austin said. “City Council gives the final approval, and the city provides the paint, brushes, and other materials.”

Austin, who has a full sleeve of tattoo art of Disney characters on her arm, said she loves working with the campers and seeing their creativity result in attractive artwork, often with a local historical theme.

“The summer art camp began in 2023 with 150 kids,” Austin recalled. “In 2024, we had another 150 or so, but this year it has grown to about 200. There is a waiting list of about 150 kids. We’ve got kids from Canandaigua, Marcus Whitman, Naples, Honeoye Falls-Lima, and even Avon school districts.

“In 2023, we did murals at Jefferson Street skate park. Last year, we did murals on the Canandaigua Fire Department on Main Street. The program also involves a sale of the camp’s own art work. They’ve sold some 175 pieces of art in an hour and a half. Our program has been nominated for a Finger Lakes People’s Choice Award for the best summer camp. It’s an honor to be considered.”

The children come to the Kershaw Park mural location Monday through Thursday for six hours a day.

The young artists also have completed murals of the Seneca Chief sunken ship at the north end of Canandaigua Lake; a tribute to the willow trees lost on the north shore of the lake during a 2024 storm; the Barnes Creek Gully outlet to the lake; and a quote from Mary Thompson, a major city benefactor. Murals have been painted in restrooms, changing rooms, and other walls within the bathhouse.

“I’ve been coming to summer camp since I was 8 and I love it,” said Riley Herrera, now 14 and a camp counselor. “I love to paint and draw. This camp is a lot of fun and a good experience.”

Natalie Van Casselle, a 12-year-old seventh-grader, said she also loves painting and art.

“This camp has been so much fun,” she said. “I’ve loved it.”