See it before its gone: Amaillo College to host annual Chalk It Up event, barring rain

Brianna Maestas, Amarillo Globe-News
·4 min read

The Amarillo College and Panhandle PBS are hosting their fifth annual Chalk It Up event, allowing artists across the Texas Panhandle the chance to win awards and a cash prize.

According to Amarillo College, the award-winning event will be held from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 29 at the Washington Street Campus Oeschger Family Mall.

"The more exposure Chalk It Up has gotten over the years, the more people in the community that have attended and artists that have participated, I think the more we draw in the hyper talented artists that continue to knock the socks off of spectators," said Sadie Newsome, director of media for Amarillo College.

"Most people will stay after the event till about 1 p.m. to enjoy the artwork, and it will be showcased on the sidewalk, at least until it rains again, for anyone who can't make the event but still want to see the art," Newsome added.

Amarillo College and Panhandle PBS will host their fifth annual Chalk It Up event from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 29 at the Washington Street Campus Oeschger Family Mall.
Amarillo College and Panhandle PBS will host their fifth annual Chalk It Up event from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 29 at the Washington Street Campus Oeschger Family Mall.
Amarillo College and Panhandle PBS will host their fifth annual Chalk It Up event from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 29 at the Washington Street Campus Oeschger Family Mall.
Amarillo College and Panhandle PBS will host their fifth annual Chalk It Up event from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 29 at the Washington Street Campus Oeschger Family Mall.
Amarillo College and Panhandle PBS will host their fifth annual Chalk It Up event from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 29 at the Washington Street Campus Oeschger Family Mall.
Amarillo College and Panhandle PBS will host their fifth annual Chalk It Up event from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 29 at the Washington Street Campus Oeschger Family Mall.

During the event, 40 registered individual artists and teams with up to four members will create works of art on the eight-feet-by-eight-feet squares along the common area. Artists will be allowed to begin their designs at 8 a.m. and work on them until noon. At that time, community members and judges will then examine the works to determine the winners.

At approximately 12:30 p.m., each of the awardees will receive a share of the $900 prize pool. First place will be awarded with $500, second place winners will receive $250 and the third place winner will receive $100. The Fan Favorite will also be announced and will receive a $50 prize.

According to the college, this year will be the seventh event since the competition's inception in 2017, but the fifth year that it has been held as last year's Chalk It Up event was cancelled due to the rain. The event was also cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year — although there might be a chance for rain in the evening — AC has hope that the annual event will be able to go on without a hitch.

"We ask that everyone knock on wood and hope that we don't get rained out again this year. We were heartbroken last year, but really this is an opportunity for the community at large not only to create but celebrate art in a fun, family friendly environment. With AC being a community college campus, I think we can all feel pride in calling this our own, and we really want people to participate in any way that works for them," Newsome said.

Rachel Flores, a member of the Flores Family team participating in this year's event, spoke about how Chalk It Up has inspired her to join the event with her family.

"The competition is one of my favorites," Flores said. "Getting artists to use a medium they aren't used to provides its own challenges. and it's these types of challenges that generated creativity. The pieces I see each year always inspire me with their creativity and brilliance. After attending the last few years, we decided together that it was time for us to try our own hand at joining the fun and creating art together."

Spectators admire the work of the sidewalk chalk artists during a previous Amarillo College Chalk It Up sidewalk art contest. This year's event is scheduled for July 29.
Spectators admire the work of the sidewalk chalk artists during a previous Amarillo College Chalk It Up sidewalk art contest. This year's event is scheduled for July 29.
Amarillo College and Panhandle PBS will host their fifth annual Chalk It Up event from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 29 at the Washington Street Campus Oeschger Family Mall.
Amarillo College and Panhandle PBS will host their fifth annual Chalk It Up event from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 29 at the Washington Street Campus Oeschger Family Mall.

The event, given a Golden Touch Award by the Amarillo Convention and Visitor Council Arts Committee in 2018, is expected to bring in an even larger crowd each year as the event continues to grow.

In addition to voting for their favorite works of art, observers at the event are invited to create drawings with their kids in the "amateur’s area" – chalk will be made available. Attendees can also contribute to a color–by-number group art piece. A few local food trucks as well as the AC Badger Central Café will be open, providing food and beverage options.

Chalk It Up is free and open to the public, and children and pets are encouraged. Entries are still being accepted. Artists and teams can register online at info.actx.edu/chalkentry.

To stay up to date on the event, follow AC or PBS on their social media. For more information about the event, visit AC online at https://www.actx.edu/stories/registration-now-open-for-chalk-it-up-acs-annual-sidewalk-art-contest.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Artists invited to create at Amaillo College's annual Chalk It Up