Crayola Brings Local Student’s Art to Life in Downtown Smithville

By Kristen Meriwether, Publisher

Main Street was transformed into a colorful canvas on July 10 for a Crayola commercial featuring an elementary school student from Bastrop.

Nine-year-old Caydence Shuman auditioned after her parents saw a casting call posted in a parenting Facebook group. She was selected from more than 100 children that day.

“She was actually the very last one to walk in,” said her father, David Shuman, in an interview Thursday during the shoot. “The director said, ‘Well, that threw us a curveball because we had our person, but now we have to consider her.’”

A second interview helped Caydence secure her spot in the commercial. As part of Crayola’s “Colors of Emotion” campaign, Caydence was asked to create a drawing using a 64-count box of Crayola crayons to express how colors make her feel.

That single piece of art was shared with artists worldwide, who created their own interpretations, several of which were featured during the commercial shoot.

The Smithville High School Band and Color Guard helped bring Caydence’s vision to life, marching down Main Street as cameras rolled. Residents gathered along the sidewalks to watch the filming, with families and children enjoying a Crayola coloring station and behind-the-scenes action.

In an interview on FOX 7 Austin on July 11, Crayola’s chief marketing officer, Victoria Lozano, said the campaign aims to showcase the power of color in inspiring creativity and expressing emotions.

“Caydence really stood out as a child who loves creativity as much as we do,” Lozano told FOX 7. “We gave her a box of 64 crayons and asked her to create a piece of art, and this was her incredible creation that we absolutely loved.”

The commercial is expected to debut on Crayola’s YouTube channel and social media in mid- to late August.

See footage of the filming on Main Street in our video here.