Sidewalk squares adjacent to Holladay Village Plaza provided the perfect canvas for numerous chalk artists during the fourth annual Chalk our Walk festival held Sept. 9. Artists arrived Saturday morning to prepare for the daylong event. They snapped open and popped up their shade umbrellas and spread out boxes filled with vibrantly colored chalks. 

Sponsored by the Holladay Arts Council, the Chalk our Walk festival welcomed local street painters of all ages and ability levels to participate. 

“This is egalitarian art,” said the Executive Director of the Holladay Arts Council Sheryl Gillilan. “If kids or adults walk by the official art and want to draw, we give them some chalk and tell them to have at it in an empty sidewalk square. I love the temporary nature of chalk art—like Buddhist mandalas that blow away in the wind. You enjoy it while you have it, and then you freely let it go.”

Holladay City Councilmember Ty Brewer and Holladay resident Kara Douville Sargent judged the 19 sidewalk entries created by the 34 participants. Ranging from professional to student participation categories, cash awards were presented to all first-place winning entries. 

Chapman Griffiths took the cash prize for the student 5-11 category depicting an underwater ocean scene complete with a jellyfish and octopus. 

Sydney Cundick, currently a student at Olympus High School, takes painting and drawing classes and won the student 12-18 category illustrating Disney’s Minnie Mouse.

Erin Grimshaw, a student at Bingham High School, earned a first place in the adult amateur category. This is Grimshaw’s first year participating in the Chalk our Walk festival. She plans to study art at Utah State University. Her favorite art medium is colored pencil. 

Camille Grimshaw, a ceramics teacher at American Academy Charter School, won in the professional art category. She has been chalking for over 18 years and said sidewalk chalking is a better workout than the half marathons she has completed. 

The Christina Stanley family received a first-place award for the family/group category. 

Adri Sandburg and Nicole Mitchell took the honors in the duo category for their “Child with a Lantern” portrait.

The Fire family was awarded the best Holladay scene.

Deanna Griffiths, a first-grade student and a participant in the Chalk our Walk festival, currently is learning about the elements of light and shadow in her drawings. 

“I did one side of my sunflower petals in colors and the other side in yellow,” Deanna said. “My grandma taught me about light and shadows. When I grow up, I want to be a dance teacher or a chalk artist. Being an artist makes me have joy. I want people to look at my art and have joy, too.” λ