Chalk art colors downtown Lincoln

Adults and children alike flocked to the downtown area Saturday to kick off the “Chalk it up, Downtown!” event.

The event, a one-day chalk art contest, was sponsored by the Downtown Retail Council. Certificates to Gomez Art Supply in the amounts of $100, $50, and $25 were awarded to the top three artists.

Winners were determined by judges from the Downtown Retail Council and were rated on a 1-5 scale based on concept and formal qualities. Artists had from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to complete their portion of the sidewalk.

“We’re hoping this will bring people and their children to the downtown area,” said Diane Kann of the Downtown Retail Council.

Artists, both professionals and amateurs, registered for spots to design. Jennifer Sherwood, 11, and her aunt, Becky Sherwood, designed a spot together.

“Jennifer is our family’s next generation of budding artists, and I wanted to bring her down here to experiment with a different medium,” said Becky Sherwood.

She explained how neither of the two had drawn on this large of an area before. Both seemed very excited to experiment with this new medium.

Their design was of Abraham Lincoln in downtown Lincoln. The two planned on sketching in food, music and whatever else they saw fit to portray downtown Lincoln.

“We wanted to incorporate downtown Lincoln into our piece and we’ve studied a lot on Abraham Lincoln. It’s an extraordinary man in an extraordinary place,” Sherwood explained about the piece they were drawing.

Many of the artists came prepared with water, tape and even their own chalk. Chalk was also provided by the Downtown Retail Council upon registration. Many artists had plans sketched out, waiting to be transferred on to the sidewalk.

For Phoebe Little, 13, the process took careful planning.

Little had her design, a goose and a girl juggling flowers, all drawn out. Before even touching the chalk, Little cautiously planned every move.

Around the corner, the laughter of children filled the air. Children 12 and under were designated spots as well, in a non-competitive setting. All of the children received participation prizes.

Jeff Cole, father of two participators, heard about the event in the newspaper. He brought his daughters, Julia, 5, and Hana, 8, to join in the children’s section.

“I’m drawing a sunflower,” Julia Cole proudly said, showing off the section of sidewalk she was designing with a friend.

The Coles had met up with friends downtown for the event, and also had friends competing around the corner.

“We do a lot in the downtown area,” Jeff Cole explained, “and there are so many bars downtown, it’s nice to see something else for a change.”

The colorful chalk masterpieces, full of designs including such varied things as landscapes and Husker baseball, were created on the north side of O Street, between 14th and Centennial Mall. The children’s artwork can be seen around the corner on the west side, between O and P streets.