FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1998 All Rights Reserved.
| VISUAL ARTS Chalkwalk '98 It's one of Artwalk's most popular events. During the past 11 years, the juried sidewalk art competition known as Chalkwalk has spawned some pretty innovative stuff using mainly chalk on a bumpy palette of concrete. Everything from Star Trek allusions and portraiture to abstract design and landscape art has graced the sidewalk on 17th Avenue Southwest between 2nd and 14th streets. According to Barbara Stein of the Uptown 17 Business Revitalization Zone, half the fun is learning to really think about the surface and the terrain. "Two years ago we had a gentleman on the north side of the street who had a bit of a shadow. He was near a waste receptacle so he incorporated its shadow into his piece of art. Unfortunately, that was between 10 and 12 o'clock, and by the time the judges came by the shadow had moved and the picture no longer represented what he was striving for." Overcoming and even exploiting the limitations of the venue is the name of the game. "It's one of the things the (competitors) have to think about," says Stein, citing innovative use of sponges and hairspray and shrewd placement of old pots and sofa chairs. In past years, entries have ranged from the wild to the austere, the garishly colorful to the strictly black-and-white. Unexpected visual effects are also popular - things like a series of hopscotch squares with a jumping girl drawn onto them. This weekend is sure to offer plenty of its own surprises. The Chalkwalk competition is only open to students of the Alberta College of Art and Design, however, the public is invited to see and judge the work for themselves. Stein says that although they have limited supplies, if you find the creative urge overwhelming, they will find you some chalk and a patch of sidewalk on which to let loose your own mini-masterwork. "We had one lady last year who was out with her two grandchildren. Neither of the children were interested, but grandma wanted to do a little chalk art." Judging will begin at 2 p.m. and will be done by two judges from ACAD and one from Uptown 17's BRZ. With up to 100 sites to compare, Stein admits it's a difficult decision. "I must say, having been with the judges the last four years, it's a very tough job assessing a winner. The calibre of the artwork is very high and the ideas are fresh." For competitors, the prize money is better this year: $300 for first place, $200 for second and $150 for third, in addition to $25 block prizes. For the public, there will be live music in Tomkins Park from noon until 4 p.m., featuring Steeling Norman and the Bow Valley Brass Ensemble. |