Adding Colors of Hope

Once again I find myself in charge of something for which I have absolutely NO credentials. When my husband (in charge of the Darfur weekend at Temple Micah) asked me to be responsible for getting a tent painted as part of the Tents of Hope project, I said yes without thinking this job through. At this point I have more questions than answers on my assignment, which includes painting an 8' x 10' tent and 150 small squares that will be sewn together (by someone else fortunately) to make part of a tent.

Questions on the tent part like:
– What should our overall design be?
– Do you really have to apply (white) gesso to the tent surface first before painting it?
– What grade of acrylic paint should I buy, given the tent will eventually be used outdoors?
– What type of brushes do we need?
– Where can I find quality art supplies at an affordable price?
– How much of everything should I buy?
– Who is going to do this? (I had hoped for teenagers who are artistic and love to paint.)
– Can we find a mutually acceptable time to do it before the April 23 Darfur weekend?

Questions on the canvas squares part like:
– What brand of fabric markers will work well on canvas?
– Where can I find them at a good price?
– Can I find sufficient parental help to be able to oversee 150 kids coming in “waves” during religious school on Sunday, April 25, to paint squares?
– Are parents going to be incredibly pissed off if their children get permanent markers on their clothes?
– Should I just use a hot iron to set the color after the completion of these small squares?

I welcome any and all suggestions you might have! And if by chance you are from Temple Micah and are reading this, I will most definitely welcome your help in this project, which is stretching my abilities!