Tri-College has already distributed over 5,000 of the new Youth and Activity and Coloring Books at the NDSU and Concordia Homecoming parades, plus the coloring books are out at the Fargo-Moorhead Convention and Visitor's Bureau and Hector International Airport.

The brainchild of Provost Tim Flakoll, over 70,000 FREE coloring books have been printed and funded through community donations. 

There are two very special family stories behind the most recent edition. 

THE ILLUSTRATORS. Several pages needed updating, prompting Flakoll to reach out to the original illustrator, Steve Stark, who decided to pass the illustrator's torch to his son, Andrew, who contributed 4 new illustrations.

Andrew Stark is an accomplished artist and NDSU faculty member; this milestone was announced in a recent NDSU School of Design, Architecture, and Art (SoDAA) newsletter and post.

Congratulations Andrew and Steve Stark for bringing joy to kids of every age and showcasing Fargo-Moorhead.  

THE INSPIRATION: Flakoll's inspiration for the coloring book was his mom, Wilma Flakoll, who remarked that a coloring book would be a nice way to pass the time for kids and adults visiting loved ones in the hospital.

From that insightful comment, the idea was born for a coloring book for kids of every age that would promote great things in Fargo Moorhead - from great colleges - to historical sites - to fun events. 

Wilma passed away in July, 2023 while plans were still underway for the next coloring book. She would have loved the new version and the father-son collaboration of Steve and Andrew Stark.