Coloring the streets
Chalk Art Contest invites a sidewalk show
BY CHANCE SOLEM-PFEIFER
From foot races to a parade, there
was no shortage of activities at last
year’s centennial celebration on the
Seaside Promenade.
But when a chalk art contest
turned out to be the most popular of
Sunset Empire Park and Recreation
District’s events, it secured its place
for the next year and beyond, accord-
ing to Melissa Ousley, marketing and
special events manager at the recre-
ation district.
The community contest will
kick off with a Friday night art
class at Sunset Recreation Center
before chalking begins at 9 a.m. on
Saturday.
“Our mission is to provide an
opportunity to learn something,” Ous-
ley said, adding that “there doesn’t
have to be a certain standard of
art.” The contest’s $35 entrance fee
includes a set of pastel paints and
other necessary supplies for designing
and creating unique chalk art on the
Seaside Promenade.
Last year’s submissions depicted
everything from massive jellyfi sh
to ornate beach kites to a portrait of
Sacagawea. Each creation was vividly
chalked on a 5-square-foot roped-off
area along the Promenade.
The inaugural event drew more
than 20 entrants, ranging from ages 5
to 73. Chalk artists included both total
novices and professional artists.
The Friday night instruction will
enable the event to bridge gaps in age
and experience. Portland artists Bev
Cordova and May Wallace will guide
participants on a two-hour course in
pastels, the blend of chalk used in the
contest. This chalk produces eye-pop-
ping color with a texture that’s just
Chalk Art Contest
Sunset Empire Parks & Recreation
District, 1140 Broadway St., Seaside.
Chalk art contest along Seaside
Promenade
Friday and Saturday
www.sunsetempire.com
A jellyfi sh, drawn with chalk, on a
Seaside sidewalk.
right. It’s not as rigid as blackboard
chalk nor as soft and unwieldy as
most children’s outdoor chalk.
Cordova, who specializes in sculp-
ture, is a former Seaside resident.
She’s previously taught with
Wallace and is a pastels expert at
Portland’s Park Rose High School.
When Ousley approached Cordova
See Page 7
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