Chalk fest gives State Street new face

by Megan Costello

Monday, October 11, 2004 00:00

On Saturday morning the sky was clear, the leaves were falling and the streets of downtown Madison were brightly decorated.

Students from the University of Wisconsin, both graduate and undergraduate, and local high schools took advantage of the weather and participated Oct. 9 in the fourth annual Chalk Fest on the 100 block of State Street.

The program, sponsored by UW's Students for Students in Visual Arts, is put on each year to give high school art students a hands-on chance to create interconnected murals.

Each high school was given a 10-by-10-foot-square drawing space and chose what to sketch. Students for Students in Visual Arts raised money for the art supplies, according to Megan Lottz, the 2003 Chalk Fest organizer.

The event began at 9:30 a.m. and ended with UW students taking the high school students on tours to art studios and to the Elvehjem Art Museum.

Sara Schneckloth, the 2004 organizer and a second-year UW graduate student, said the opportunity for students to work with each other is reflected in the murals they draw.

"This is a chance to build bridges between art," Schneckloth said. "People have different approaches, but they can think and work together and you can see that."

By working with each other, high school students were able to teach each other art tricks, Schneckloth added.

But the public was also able to dip their hands in the fun.

Passersby from the Farmers' Market stopped to take pictures, watch the artists and pick up chalk to draw a little something for themselves. Chalk was available for children and adults to draw on the upper block in a free drawing area.

"This brings together the community and peers for a presentation of art expression for everyone," Lottz said.

Madison West High School freshman Madeline Weibel and sophomore Madeline Schatzberg said they enjoy drawing with chalk and pastels outdoors. Both said they plan to study art.

"It's nice to do this kind of art because it washes away. It's a nice feature for this kind of work," Weibel said. "We can come here to draw and work together, but we'll always remember what we did here."

Schatzberg said she also enjoys drawing outside, especially in areas with pedestrian traffic.

"We love doing this [art] ourselves. We can draw what we want and we have free chalk," Schatzberg said.

Lottz said younger students are the tools for the future of art. Learning from older peers is important for their art education, she said.

About 10 high schools participated in the event, including Madison East, Madison West, Monroe, Baraboo and Shabazz.

Schneckloth said the event ran without problems and the weather couldn't have been better.

"Thank God it didn't rain," she said.