CHALK WALK
HSHS students create cartoon masterpieces on sidewalks
Students gathered on the sidewalks of Hot Springs World Class High School on Monday to participate in the annual Arts & the Park Chalk Walk, drawing classic characters such as the “Pink Panther.”
“I think he’s very electric. The use of color on him has been inspiring,” said Shirley
Tipton, lead art teacher for the high school.
Students drew everything from “Alice in Wonderland” to “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.”
“Just the vividness of what they’re doing with the colors make those stand out,” said Tipton.
The sidewalk even hosted a depiction of “War of the Worlds,” in which an alien war machine looms over a house amidst the backdrop of a purple sky.
“This is a pretty unique composition, but it feels right. It’s got the right colors. It’s got the right stuff going on in it. It’s truly, truly exciting,” said Tipton.
Sophomore Gage Adams chose to draw two characters from “The Emperor’s New Groove,” a movie he said he enjoyed as a child.
“I’m enjoying the chalk drawing. First time I’ve done it in a long time,” he said.
Though the Chalk Walk looks different this year, Tipton said they are having fun regardless.
Arts & The Park, a 10-day celebration of the arts held normally each spring, was rescheduled for Sept. 25 to Oct. 4 with outdoor and virtual offerings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Arts & The Park is hosted by the Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance.
Adriane Barnes, the communication and public relations coordinator at Hot Springs School District, said the students were all Art Club students under Tipton at the high school. They were participating — as part of Art Club — in the Chalk Walk event by creating a Chalk Walk Exhibition.
This year’s Chalk Walk theme is “The Art of Literacy,” so artists are being encouraged to create artwork inspired by a character or literary location from their favorite book. Work can be completed anytime between now and Saturday and should be posted on the Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance’s Facebook album and shared on social media using #hschalkwalk and #hotspringsarts2020. Artists in need of chalk can stop by the Garland County Library during regular hours through Saturday and
pick up chalk for free.
Artists are being asked to follow all recommended safety precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to have the permission of the property owner where the sidewalk art is created.