Youths paint a puzzle bear

The life-size, fiberglass Kodiak spent a month at a downtown drop-in center sitting on a tarp-covered table absorbing the thoughts and emotions of dozens of homeless and at-risk youth.

When it emerged from hibernation Thursday – hoisted through a window at Spokane’s Crosswalk – the bear was steeped in brilliant color, a canvas of images that reflected the lives of the young artists.

This Kodiak, which will be showcased in front of the STA Plaza next week, is among the 40 pieces that are part of a community art project called “Bear Necessities.” The project is also a fund-raiser that will hopefully generate more than $100,000 for the Ronald McDonald House of Spokane, a nonprofit agency that provides temporary lodging for families who come here seeking medical care for their children.

While nearly all the bears have been painted by professional artists from throughout the Inland Northwest, this one from Crosswalk has been a joint project involving 50 teens and young people who attend classes at Crosswalk, which provides shelter, food and education for street kids and other youth in need.

“The bear has become part of us,” said Ken Jernberg, who teaches the kids. “We’ve become very attached to it.”

Mike Forness, executive director of Ronald McDonald House of Spokane, asked the kids at Crosswalk, 525 W. Second Ave., to get involved because he considers them part of the fabric of downtown. “It’s rare that the street kids get recognized as a legitimate stakeholder of downtown,” said Forness.

When the undecorated bear first arrived in late May, Jernberg and the other teachers incorporated the giant sculpture into many of their lessons. They discussed the significance of the bear in Native American and other cultures. They learned about its anatomy. They spoke about what the bear could symbolize in their own lives.

Forness hopes that youth from Crosswalk will become “bearkeepers” — not only watching their own bear but also protecting the 39 others from vandals.

A couple of the bears have suffered minor damage recently.