CHALK TO THE HAND. For Chalkfest 2009, local artist Tyler Moen created a scene from the video game Pikmin, earning him first place in the audience chosen individual category (despite rain damage).

Imagine, if you will, a park overtaken by a day-long firestorm of creativity, culminating in yards and yards of sidewalk space displaying amazing chalk artwork. That’s Chalkfest.

Now in its third year, Chalkfest invites artists to create large-scale, elaborate chalk masterpieces on the sidewalks of Wilson Park (between Farwell and Barstow streets in downtown Eau Claire) alongside other professional and amateur artists from the Valley and beyond.  

One of the event’s most celebrated participants is Tyler Moen, a UWEC fine arts and illustration graduate who will put chalk to concrete for the third time this year.  

“In years past, I’ve replicated little garden scenes,” Moen explained. “I think I have an idea for this year, which makes me nervous because the other two years I didn’t know what I was going to do, and it worked really well. We’ll see what happens.”

You’d recognize Moen’s pieces if you saw them, as they all showcased intensely bright colors and had a whimsical feel to them. In his first year, Moen’s piece was dominated by vibrant, long-petaled sunflowers, along with a winding river and a very happy-looking turtle. The following year, Moen’s slab of concrete was blanketed in mushrooms, as well as colorful woodland-like creatures from the video game Pikmin, carrying away a plump strawberry.  

“I really appreciated the type of piece I did last year, and how many different types of comments I received from so many different kinds of people,” Moen explained, humbly failing to mention that the audience voted it first place in the individual category. “The older crowd really enjoyed the flowers, and the nature of it. While this little boy, who came right up, looked down for a few seconds, and screamed, ‘My dad has that game!’ and ran away. Silly things.”

   Chalkfest isn’t for the “faint of art,” though. Moen said only the most dedicated and ambitious of artists succeed because it takes several hours to construct a piece. “I do work very fast, so I can get a majority of what I want down quickly, it’s the tweaking that takes me a long time.” In years past, Moen would start work at 8 or 9 in the morning, and work late into the afternoon.

“My legs are always unbelievably sore afterwards. You don’t think about it, but you end up doing about 200 to 400 power squats throughout the morning. Getting in and out of the car, I feel like an old man. It’s pretty rough,” Moen joked.

Moen’s approach to Chalkfest is different from many other artists, in the sense that he never knows what his end product will be. “I might have an inkling of what I’m going to do, but I don’t grid it out, and then recreate it. I just draw. I feel it out as I go, and just tweak it as needed,” Moen said.

In addition to the artwork, there’s food, music, chalk-related games (including Pictionary and artist duels), and also an area for kids to draw. Not to mention the events and activities of Summerfest just a couple blocks down the street.

Later that evening the park is prepared for the Night Light Reception. Vintage holiday lights outline the sidewalks and floodlights hanging from trees dramatically enhance the artistic creations. The reception also hosts an awards ceremony in which individual and group artists vie for awards as voted by the audience and a jury.

“Chalkfest has always been a really good experience,” Moen added.  “I’m really looking forward to doing it again this year.”

    Chalkfest • August 14 • Wilson Park, downtown EC • 552-0457 • Chalkfest.org