The Palm Springs Chalk Art Festival: Wise Words From Young Artists

By Adriane Berg

Why are we so fascinated with chalk art? When we see a chalk artist doing their work, we are compelled to pause in our busy day and take a peek. At the March 2022 Palm Springs Chalk Art Festival (March 19-20 from 7:00 am-5:00 pm) presented by the Palm Springs Sunup Rotary Club, tourists and locals walking up and down Museum Way watched the chalk masterpieces in progress.

At the Palm Canyon side of Museum Way, spectators watch masterpieces created by professional chalk artists. Each of the pros was an amazing, talented artist - many of whom compete in various festivals throughout the year. It is their passion to breathe life into a slab of concrete. For this festival, there were seventeen professional artists.

At the other end of the street, student blocks were marked off for K-2; Grades 3-5; Grades 6-8; and Grades 9-12. More than twenty students participated, with friends and family watching and cheering them on. Visitors who stopped to speak with the young chalk artists found more than exciting techniques. Every one of the participants had an inspirational view of what it means to create and share their art. There is no doubt that art would always be part of the lives of these artists, some as young as five years of age, some in middle and high school.

We can all benefit from understanding the depth of their feeling and their concerns in moments of frustration about their art and how they overcome those frustrations. Here are just a few of the words of wisdom gleaned from these budding leading artists:

Words of Wisdom From:

Cody: “Prove yourself to yourself, not to others.” (Second place winner, grades 9-12 division)

Cody is a walking inspiration. She is a heart transplant recipient who often uses anatomical hearts as subject matter for her acrylic art. Cody uses her experience to create and paint what makes her happy. For the Palm Springs Chalk Art Festival, Cody painted the scene of a reflective night which brought us into an ethereal space that will stay in our memory.

 

Winter: “If you have talent, practice takes you far. Practice can be even more important than talent.” (Grades 3-5 division)

Art is a lot of work at age nine. Winter takes music lessons, but there are no art classes at her school. She feels art is essential at school. Her advice for others who have no fine arts class: ”If you have no courses in art, draw during recess instead of playing.”

 

Jolie: “Art comes in many forms; it is ok not to be good, never give up the struggling; art can be cooking or dancing.” (Third place winner, grades 6-8 division)

Jolie is an expert at representing legend and allegory in her art. Her chalk work featured a young person with both good and evil on the shoulder, and the need to make a decision while being torn by these two forces. Jolie also expresses her art through music appreciation, video, and paintings.

 

Olivia: The inspiration of saying hello in any language (third place winner, grades k-2)

Olivia, age 5, was among the youngest participants. She painted rainbows and loves art, painting both in kindergarten and at home. She has an art set up in her home to use when she feels inspired. She walked by the Palm Springs Chalk Art Festival and was inspired to make art then and there. Olivia drew a shaka, the way to say hello in Hawaii, where she currently lives.

 

Sophia: “I decided to make beauty in work.” (First place winner. grades 9-12)

Anime is her inspiration. In this case, the character is Tengen Uzui. Many people watch TV, see anime, and can understand their favorite characters in art. Sophia is a super realist depicting superheroes and anti-heroes in a novel and compelling way.

 

Elena: “Never stop making Art.” (first place winner, grades 6-8)

Elena is a self-taught watercolorist who created a swimming koi fish for her Chalk Art Festival. She tends towards insects, spiders, and snakes as subject matters. One day Elena was so frustrated with her art that she took a lighter, and her art supplies and decided to destroy her art. Her Mom insisted that she go to her room and work until she emerged with a masterpiece. Today, she says, she is amazed that she competes in festivals and is so grateful to Mom for being strong. Thanks, Mom.

Ian and Elliott: “Picasso is my inspiration”(Elliott third-place winner grades 9-12)

Ian and Elliott are a dynamic duo of brothers who attended the Palm Springs Chalk Art Festival for the first time. They are a practical pair who say that taking home the chalk was a big draw and incentive to participate. Dad was practical, too. The family home has two concrete blocks that “we will use for chalk drawing from now on.”

Background of the Palm Springs Chalk Art Festival

The 2022 Palm Springs Chalk Art Festival was the tenth edition of the annual festival, presented by the Palm Springs Sunup Rotary Club. Rotary is a global network of 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in their communities, and among themselves.

As organized by the Palm Springs Sunup Rotary Club, the Festival brings together professional artists from Southern California and students from the Palm Springs, Desert Sands, and Coachella Valley Unified School Districts to compete for cash prizes and student honor awards.

Judges included two members of the Palm Springs Art Commission for the professional judging. Education staff from the Palm Springs Art Museum, Jessica Marcias and Hilary Roberts, were the judges of the student artists. Professional prizes were up to $1,000 for the Best In Show. Student prizes range from $10 to $100.

Steven Levine, the Palm Springs Sunup Rotary Foundation president tells us: “This type of fund-raising event is a perfect fit for Rotary in our commitment to community. From the beginning, anyone could participate, including children from amateurs and professional chalk artists. Local sponsors support the event. Monies raised from this event are donated to the Palm Springs Sunup Rotary Foundation for Rotary student leadership programs, charitable organizations in the Coachella Valley, and many other projects

The Festival Follow-Up at the Palm Springs Art Museum Was Filled with Excitement

On Thursday, March 24 the Palm Springs Art Museum focused on chalk art for their Thursday Night Special Event. First and Second Middle School winners, and the Second-Place high school winner demonstrated their drawing process, while visitors created their drawing or coloring using chalk pastels. Over one hundred people attended.

This event was part of the Art Education Program offered by the Palm Springs Art Museum. museum visit that will draw questers to museum experiences all their lives.