Among the pieces displayed as part of the Hopkinton Art Walk is this mixed-media drawing titled “Starry Night” by sixth grader Emily Cao, located in the lobby of the Hopkinton Police Department. PHOTO/JERRY SPAR

Two years ago, the Town of Hopkinton rallied around the Fitzpatrick family as Carolyn battled and beat stage 4 cancer.

Now, brothers Evan, 17, and Owen, 19, Carolyn’s sons, are giving back to everyone who supported them through a mutual passion.

During the month of July, the Fitzpatrick brothers have organized the inaugural Hopkinton Art Walk, modeled after the famous one in Arles, France.

“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity,” said Evan, a rising Hopkinton High School senior. “This is great for the town, and I’m super excited for it.”

Art has been a part of the Fitzpatrick brothers’ lives since they were very young, when they used passes from Hopkinton Public Library to visit various museums. During spring break of 2023, Evan participated in the Arles walk, which features visits to sites where Vincent van Gogh painted 200 canvases, as well as well-preserved Roman buildings.

In 2023, Evan won a Mass Cultural Council/Hopkinton Cultural Council Grant to organize the Hopkinton walk. Owen, a rising sophomore at Bates College majoring in arts and visual culture, is a former grant recipient as well.

The idea for the walk came from news about “destructive student behavior downtown,” which affected local businesses, Evan said. The disruptive behavior included alleged shoplifting and fighting.

Evan said he’s also seen others littering downtown.

The walk unites local businesses and organizations with student artists. Owen helped with logistics, coordination and graphics.

The town’s Parks & Recreation Department also is participating, as is the Hopkinton Public Library, with two pieces on display in its circulation area, Evan said.

Overall, 32 student artists are participating, with 52 pieces on display at 40 indoor locations. The artists are local kindergarteners all the way up to Hopkinton High School.

Pieces include paintings, photo displays, marker/crayon drawings and more. Among the works are “Dragon” by third-grader by Gabriel Leguarta at Central Public House, “Rainfall” by second-grader Max Bouzan at Weston Nurseries, and “Starry Night” by sixth-grader Emily Cao at the Hopkinton Police Department.

A QR code on the Hopkinton Art Walk flyer (available at most locations) has more details. Individuals also can search #hopkintonartwalk on Facebook.

“Thank you to all the participants who made this possible,” Evan said. “We encourage kids to get into art and help support the businesses that have been affected by the [poor] student behavior.”

— This story was written by Robert Fucci.