Artists of all ages participate in Lewisburg Sidewalk Chalk Festival

Jul. 9—LEWISBURG — On Friday participants of different ages and backgrounds flocked to Lewisburg's downtown to show off their artistic prowess.

Sponsored by the Lewisburg Arts Council (LAC), the annual Sidewalk Chalk Festival was held on Market Street between Second and Fifth streets.

"Folks really love this event," said Della Hutchison, president of the LAC. "Families come back year after year, often returning to the same sidewalk squares, and it's really fun to see over the years how the little ones have grown and changed.

"I remember vividly one family, whose youngest just graduated from high school and is soon off to college."

Katie Spotts, of Lewisburg, drew her cat, Harvey.

"I just like this photo," Spotts said.

Spotts, a graduate of Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, said she came to participate in the Chalk Festival because she likes to draw.

Russ Gleeson, of Bloomsburg, is an English major at Bloomsburg University.

"I really got into portraits recently," Gleeson said.

Gleeson said he thinks the symmetry of faces is interesting and wanted to present his work.

Brothers Richard and Scott Rheam worked jointly together on their project.

Scott said they spent three and a half hours working on their art and were constantly working.

Their art was inspired by robotic lego toys they had and video games they play, Richard said.

The brothers split their tasks each taking different steps in the process.

Richard did outlining work while Scott worked on shading.

"We just bounce off each other," Scott said about working together.

He said their chalk art turned out way better than they originally had anticipated. Richard attended the festival the previous year and chalked out a two-headed dragon, he said.

Michelle Tavares, of Lewisburg, said this was her first time participating in the Sidewalk Chalk Festival.

Tavares, a freelance illustrator, said her art, a fish swimming through waves, was inspired by a movie.

This was her first experience using chalk as a tool and said she was used to watercolors.

"It's very loosely inspired by the movie Ponyo," said Tavares. She said she spent approximately three hours on her chalk art and was still tweaking her work.

She said prior to coming she had a rough idea what she wanted to sketch but was not working when she went to try.

Ryan Vanlone, of Lewisburg, is best friend to Tavares' son.

Vanlone, 14, drew the character Vecna from Stranger Things. He said he happened to run into Tavares at registration and happened to end up working alongside one another.

Mindy Lamprinos, of Northumberland, only recently began appreciating art.

"I just love art. I recently got into painting. I've been enjoying the chalk fest for years," she said.

Lamprinos was working on a sunflower. She said she had been out approximately an hour and a half.

She said she enjoys when people come to look at her work.

"I love when they come by and try to guess what you're doing, especially in the early stages," Lamprinos said.

Harper Haile, 9, said her mother brought her out for the day. She drew a cloud with a sunset behind it.