Chalking Up Colony Square for Earth Day

Light from the sun is hitting the spot. The artists brainstorm for the huge canvas. People start to crowd around to see what the artists are doing.The artists pull out their chalk and start their new chalk art piece for Earth Day.

Earth Day became an official holiday on April 22,1970, and since then, Earth Day has been celebrated worldwide where people come to reflect on the planet.

Earth Day on Colony Square is a community event that happens on April 22 in Midtown. Several artist apart of the Chalk Artist Guild come to Colony Square to create a mural that represents Earth Day.

Chalk artist, Meg Mitchell, helped to create this year’s mural.

The Chalk Artist Guild is a group of “professional and emerging chalk artist” who were contacted by the property company from Colony Square. The company wanted the group to draw a piece for Earth Day to promote the space [Colony Square] as a communal and fun gathering area.

Mitchell accepted the job.

“I was available that day and able to do it and since the project was a large project, I pulled another member,” Mitchell says.

This year’s mural was started at 7:30 am and ended at 2:30 pm. Spectators were allowed to come and help finish and contribute to the art piece in a designated area given by Mitchell.

“It was mostly the outer edges that people can do their own thing,” Mitchell says. “We actually went into it expecting people to help us with the center part. A couple of the early people did, but for the most part people wanted to let us do the main piece”

Mitchell and her partner went to Colony Square accepting that their artwork could stray away from their artistic ideas.

“As an artist you are always in a way attached to your art,” Mitchell says “You want to see your hand in all of it, but it was a community involved project.”

While working on the art piece, The Chalk Guild wants people to know that “chalk can be an artistic medium” according to their website.

“We try to stay true to the chalk art history as much as we can,” Mitchell says “ We want to make chalk art more of a thing around here.”

The artists can add their own individual style to the art piece. In the recent piece, Mitchell placed some well known landmarks and a few animals into the drawing to make it more comical.

“I usually try to inject a little bit of humor into my art whenever I can,” Mitchell says “Aside from the theme that I’m given, If I am given one, I usually put something funny in there or a little easter egg that will make someone smile.”

It was a long process for Mitchell and her partner, but that doesn’t keep her from going back to Colony Square to create a whole new drawing.

“I love being outside in beautiful weather of spring, in the sunshine, and doing big chalk pieces,” Mitchell says “I usually kick my shoes off and walk around barefoot and get dirty, and it’s just really good for the soul.”

Mitchell explains her love of chalk and the event.

“I think it was great. We were able to interact with everybody as they came up and as people were walking by.” Mitchell says.

“It seems weird but I like how chalk is so temporary because you have to really appreciate it while it is there and you can’t really take it for granted,” Mitchell says.

Photo Courtesy of Kayla Trice