Because so many people look forward to the Dogwood Arts Chalk Walk each year, we’re republishing this post featuring some of the amazing art from Chalk Walk 2015. The 2017 event will be held at Market Square Knoxville on Saturday, April 1 — all day!
For the seventh year in a row, artists (professional, novice, and student) turned ordinary sidewalks in Knoxville’s Market Square into magical canvases for Dogwood Arts Chalk Walk 2015. Arriving mid-morning gets you a view of artists at work. So you may need another visit after lunch to see finished art. Here’s a little of both.
We began by talking with Michael Gunnels sketching this sassy, bug-eyed cat.
And then watched Curtis Glover capture the Knoxville skyline and Tennessee logo in chalk.
Some artists campaigned for votes. Like Blythe Lundberg. And why not? Cute snail on a quilt-pattern background — all finished by lunchtime. No small feat, we thought.
It didn’t escape us that young, young people were hunched over these drawings, too. Like the team from Sequoyah Elementary slamming colorful gumballs into their orange machine. And their reward? First Place in Elementary division.
This sweet entry done by kids from the Montessori School had something extra: origami birds laid on top.
When we finally looked up, we saw folks on the square in the middle of a party of sorts. So much going on — musicians, magicians, and kids sketching chalk drawings in their own area reserved for kid spontaneity.
Even furry friends got into the action. Like this dog belonging to a hard-working artist who kept shushing the dog away from the art only to find the pet smack dab in the middle of the chalk — again.
Winners
Best of Show
Drawing the most attention, and for good reason, was Shane Sandberg‘s astronaut. Winning Best of Show for detail and a sense of humor (Space guy’s holding a drink called a Shaneberg), Sandberg’s drawing took chalk art to a new level. Literally.
People’s Choice Award
Who doesn’t like Anna and Elsa? It took hard work all day by Deirdre Pokrzywa and Sarah Bellah to bring these young ladies — and Olaf — to life in chalk
Other Favorites
On the Market Square stage, Jessie Steinberg (2014 Best of Show winner) wowed us with detail: a very friendly dog in a garden setting. (Winner 2015: First Place, Adult Division)
Nearby, the girls we featured in a previous post (Weekly Photo Challenge: Afloat) were busy free handing a drawing of a girl in a koi pond. (At least that’s what it looked like to us.) The dreamy effect and the matching koi patterns weren’t lost on us: these two UT Elementary Education majors said they were enjoying the design work as much as the hard work. (Winner: Second Place, College Collaborative)
After our lunch, we stumbled (literally, since there were so many people in close quarters) upon other notables that struck our fancy.
Great work, don’t you think? We’re still wondering how artists 1) decide what to draw, 2) select colors and chalks, and 3) stay in the bent-over position for hours.
Mark this on your calendar for 2016. It’s just one of many artsy events of the Dogwood Arts Festival. See you in Knoxville next year?
Dogwood Arts Chalk Walk 2015
List of winners: http://www.dogwoodarts.com/chalk-walk/
Sponsors:
Avanti Savoia: http://www.avantisavoia.com/
Jerry’s Artarama: http://www.jerrysartarama.com/
For more information:
“Chalk it up as a great weekend.” The Blue Streak. http://bluestreak.moxleycarmichael.com/2015/04/16/chalk-it-up-as-a-great-weekend/