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Young artists put their stamp on downtown Janesville

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Photo by Bill Olmsted

15 year old Carly Hinchberger of Colorado, is in Janesville visiting relatives but took time out on Friday to particpate in the Janesville Mile Chalk Walk with a messgae of diversity.

JANESVILLE — Godzilla is shooting multicolored flames from his mouth, straight at “Alien Man,” a muscular, gray-green guy in a purple v-neck tunic.

Nearby, a pastel green and gold Viking head floats like a ghost, while off in the distance a giant, pink mosquito dive-bombs a crowd of terrified people.

This is not another planet.

It’s downtown Janesville’s sidewalks, splashed with colorful, creative chalk murals drawn Friday by artists participating in the Janesville Mile Chalk Walk.

Yuri Rashkin of Janesville, an organizer of the first annual Chalk Walk, said planners of the event sought an innovative way to get people to brighten up downtown Janesville.

“People wondered, what’s one way you can revitalize downtown? Well, you can draw on it,” Rashkin said.

The Chalk Walk, hosted by the Janesville Convention and Visitors Bureau, was slated to run Friday and today. The event’s main focus is a youth contest, open to artists ages 4 to 18.

Rashkin said a few dozen youth artists got involved Friday, and the event drew people of all ages who roamed downtown checking out the brightly colored pavement flair.

Organizers on Friday said artists had burned through about 100 pieces of colored chalk, which was donated.

“There hasn’t been this many people down here since the flood,” Rashkin said.

Perhaps the best news for the festival has been the weather: Chalk art’s nemesis, rain, has been nowhere in sight.

Elijah Faber, 10, of Janesville, the artist behind the flaming Godzilla and “Alien Man,” took a break from sketching black mountains Friday to talk about his artistic process.

“I think these mountains are cool,” he said.

Elijah’s mother, Shari Faber, said she thought Chalk Walk itself was cool. And worthwhile.

“This was a great idea,” she said. “It’s fee, it’s fun, and it’s a great opportunity for people to share their art.”

Youths have until 10 a.m. today to muster their best sidewalk chalk art on four blocks along South Main Street, between Olde Towne Mall and the Janesville Performing Arts Center.

After that, a panel of four judges will pick winners in four categories at a ceremony at noon at Firemen’s Park in downtown Janesville.

Winners of the youth contest will receive prizes donated by local businesses, said Christine Rebout, director of the Janesville Convention & Visitors Bureau and one of Chalk Walk’s organizers.

Cecilia Kedrowski, 13, of Janesville, drew a giant Parker High School Viking logo on a sidewalk just south of Olde Towne Mall. Kedrowski said Friday was the first time she’d done sidewalk chalk art since she was little.

For her, Chalk Walk was a breath of fresh air.

“It’s kind of like hopscotch, you know?” she said.