Teen artist creating lasting impression in downtown Libertyville

Fourteen-year-old Adler Arts Center student Macaire Everett is no stranger to opportunity.

The latest for the Libertyville teen, a freshman at Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, is the painting of a mural at the entrance to the Church Street Parking Garage in the village's downtown.

Macaire, who often works with chalk, is excited to try a different medium.

"When I do chalk, it washes away every time, and this is something that will be permanent," she said.

Macaire gained notice earlier this year through a chalk project she launched in March at the start of the COVID-19 lockdown. Every day, she created a work of art on her home's driveway featuring her 9-year-old brother Camden. She said she had no idea that the art would take on a life of its own.

"It gives us something to do together, and that's brought us here, to making this mural," she said.

With its signature summer event canceled due to COVID-19, the Adler Center is pursuing other initiatives to engage the community, such as the mural.

What's next for Macaire? The talented teen says that she is thinking about putting together a book of her artwork. You can find her chalk drawings on Instagram at @macairesmuse