Helping to celebrate 200 years of Dexter with some cool window art

Businesses in downtown Dexter are making a splash with some window art as they look forward to celebrating two-hundred years of Dexter.

In preparation of this summer’s Bicentennial Celebration, painters from Brush Monkeys recently took to store front windows in downtown to paint a design with the words “Celebrate Dexter 200 years” to go along with a firework bursting into the air.

Mary Thiefels of Brush Monkeys said they have been doing window painting at 3bird for the past couple of years and were asked to do this project after it was organized by the team at 3bird. Brush Monkeys is a group of local and regional artists, who do things like the holiday window painting in downtown Ann Arbor.

In Dexter, Thiefels said they are painting around 27 store front windows in downtown. She said Laura from 3bird connected with businesses around town to see who wanted to participate and have a design painted on their window that was cohesive and made a splash.

The celebration this summer marks the 200th anniversary of when founder Samuel Dexter purchased the land that would become his namesake village. Originally known as "Mill Creek Settlement," the town was platted in 1830, and its name was officially changed to “Dexter.”

This June a celebration, which includes a three-day carnival, will take place in Dexter.

The window at the Dexter Bakery. photo by Lonnie Huhman