Chalk the Walk 2017

Pastel residue kisses your skin leaving a sea of color across your hands, children giggle and pass with the wind. Your masterpiece lays at your feet in an array of beauty on the street. You rise to your feet and the blood begins to flow back through your lower legs, your piece for Chalk the Walk is complete.

Chalk the Walk is a yearly event in Mt. Vernon that has been an Iowan commodity for years. Now, celebrating its 12th anniversary this year, it is only getting bigger and better. With over 500 artists, chalk drawings can be seen on street upon street of varying subjects and styles. In following years, the committee behind Chalk the Walk has planned themes to create a more cohesive look. However, artists are also encouraged to do their own thing in order to create a beautiful, unique mosaic of art. Piece by piece, artist by artist, Chalk the Walk unites hundreds of creations for an unforgettable experience.

One of those artists has enjoyed adding to that experience and loves helping others enjoy it, too. Yvette Jury, the owner of Maroger Fine Art Classes, has been attending Chalk the Walk with members of her art studio, including many West students, for five years. “The first year we were all creating one main piece. Everyone was given a part and the [drawing] was completed within an hour. Meaning if you were to come in the afternoon, there would be nothing to [complete],” Jury said. In contrast to that first year, the most recent event contained over 150 squares allowing for more artists and more variation. “One of the best things [for the artists] is to see all the different styles and all the different things that are done,” Jury said. Jury has enjoyed seeing the drastic changes over the years to be more inclusive and show a wider spectrum of art. A larger spectrum means more people, resulting in a growing celebration for people of all ages and artistic abilities.

Erica Ly ’19 is one of those people. Ly, a sophomore from Linn-Mar, began her love for Chalk the Walk three years ago, and looks forward to it in years to come. “[What motivates me to come every year is] that it’s fun drawing and using pastels,” Ly said, “Also, you can meet a bunch of cool people and it’s a great, fun environment.” A typical Chalk the Walk through the eyes of Ly would begin like this: After applications have been taken, Ly and her friends are assigned an 8 foot by 10 foot square to fill with their art. Once they arrive at their squares, they get to work on their themed (or unthemed) piece. This year, Ly and her companions drew Moana, a popular Disney princess. Once their piece was complete, they wandered through the rivers of colorful streets and admired the wide variety of work by others. Despite Ly’s school ties in comparison to some of her fellow artists, these women were able to bond and share an incredible memory with pastel kissed fingers and artwork at their feet.

One of Ly’s companions is Sophia Chen ’19. Chen has been attending for two years and has remembered every second. Although, she can’t credit her love for Chalk the Walk to her own findings. “Yvette first introduced me, she loves introducing her students to art stuff like that,” Chen said. She doesn’t regret a thing and is thankful Jury gave her the opportunity to experience and learn more about the event. “[My favorite part] is watching it all come together,” Chen said. The pieces that resulted left her in awe and seeing the changes between the years hooked her to return. “Last year’s pieces were really politically charged, because of the election and everything,” Chen said, “[but this year] it was really bright and positive.”The different trends are just one of the many things Chen enjoys about visiting. She looks forward to the event in the future and can’t wait to see next year’s contributions.

A nontraditional participant in the festival is Nick Silva ’19. His family has lived in Mt. Vernon since he was born, so he has grown up alongside the event. “It gets more and more advanced [every year] and that’s cool to watch,” Silva said. Although he has never contributed to a piece, he volunteered at this past festival with his grandmother for the duration of the event. The pair were in charge of traveling around the festival making sure the trash and recycling bins were being used properly. By moving from bin to bin, Silva got to experience the exuberant pieces from all across the event. “[Chalk the Walk] brings so much diversity,” he said, “and not just the people, the artwork, too.” Hopefully, that diversity will continue to grow throughout the years to create an even better event to come.

If Chalk the Walk intrigues you but art isn’t your forte nor do you live near the event, being a spectator is perfect for you. Chad Johnson ’18 and his family have made travelling to the festival a yearly practice. “It’s kind of a tradition of mine,” Johnson said, “this year the event was on my birthday, and that was pretty cool.” Throughout the years, Johnson has participated in the large community squares in the center of the event. In these squares, visitors can take their pick of design and let their creativity run, even if that creativity isn’t in the same realm as Picasso. When Johnson isn’t participating, he is walking through the streets in awe of the jaw dropping visuals. Typically, the pieces with bright, bold colors are his favorite; but this year a new design caught his eye. “This one artist had created this illusion of a hole in the ground, and then she drew herself climbing out of the hole. It just really stood out to me and was really cool.” Johnson believes that picking a piece isn’t an easy task. Year after year, streets have been added to the festival creating an even larger atmosphere and choices of chalk art to favoritize.

Whether a spectator, volunteer or participant, everyone who has visited this colorful event can unanimously agree that it is necessary to attend.