Salt Lake City — Sidewalks become canvases on Saturday, September 5, as the Utah Chalk Art Festival returns to The Gateway. Twenty-two artists from Utah and beyond will transform Rio Grande Street into a gallery of large-scale chalk murals, created live throughout the day. Sponsored by The Blocks—the festival is family-friendly, free, and open to the public.
Artists’ designs take shape hour by hour. The public may come early to watch the process and grab breakfast or lunch at nearby restaurants, or arrive late in the day to see the finished murals in full color.
The festival is led by Utah artist Nicole Kleinman, together with chalk artists Camille Grimshaw and Brittany Shepler. For Kleinman, The Gateway is where it all began: she attended a chalk art festival there at age 12, fell in love with the artform, and started doodling on her driveway. Now a BYU animation graduate, she’s bringing the festival back to inspire the next generation. Shepler, a Utah artist and engineer who helped organize that same festival years ago, is returning from Massachusetts to take part.
“It’s a very forgiving artform, and a great way for kids to get involved in art,” said Kleinman. “For the youngest tots, it can be their very first experience making art.” That spirit shapes the festival’s Kids Corner, where chalk will be available for children to color inside (or outside) designs, and art teachers will share tips and tricks for anyone ready to turn doodling into a hobby.
Featured artists include Erik Greenawalt of Pittsburgh—known as The Chalking Dad—who creates anamorphic 3-D murals designed to leap off the pavement. Each artist works in a space up to 64 square feet of hand-drawn art.
“This is a whimsical, accessible artform that mesmerizes all ages. A key tenet of The Blocks is investing in more art and more artists Downtown,” said Lucas Horns, director of The Blocks. “We’re proud to say every artist at this festival will receive a stipend for their work.”
ABOUT THE BLOCKS ARTS DISTRICT
The Blocks is a visionary initiative of the City and County to promote the abundance and vibrancy of our downtown creative community, facilitate partnerships and collaborations, and activate underutilized spaces to establish Downtown Salt Lake City as the premier cultural district of the Intermountain West. For more information, visit theblocksslc.com or follow @THEBLOCKSSLC on social media.
