Hundreds chalk it up at annual Onset Chalk Festival
Shay Dexter, 10, of Buzzards Bay puts the finishing touches on her piece. Photos by Bobby Grady
A turtle rides the waves.
Artists get started on their chalk art.
Laura Potter of Wareham recreates a scene from the event’s chosen book “Miss Rumphius.”
Back: Nancy Oberg and Katie Whidden
Front: Emery Oberg, 3, Olivia Whidden, 7 and Harper Widden, 4.
Joanie Hibbard works on her and Trinity’s piece.
Jocelyn Vache uses water to make the chalk act more like paint.
The book walk featured pictures from the story people could look at.
It’s an animal party!
Night lights made by Jackie Hopp.
Dustin Moreal, 5, of Onset works on his creation.
Shay Dexter, 10, of Buzzards Bay puts the finishing touches on her piece. Photos by Bobby Grady
A turtle rides the waves.
Artists get started on their chalk art.
Laura Potter of Wareham recreates a scene from the event’s chosen book “Miss Rumphius.”
Back: Nancy Oberg and Katie Whidden
Front: Emery Oberg, 3, Olivia Whidden, 7 and Harper Widden, 4.
Joanie Hibbard works on her and Trinity’s piece.
Jocelyn Vache uses water to make the chalk act more like paint.
The book walk featured pictures from the story people could look at.
It’s an animal party!
Night lights made by Jackie Hopp.
Dustin Moreal, 5, of Onset works on his creation.
Sidewalk chalk isn’t just for kids. It’s for anyone and everyone to bring their creativity alive.
Close to 200 artists took to the sidewalk at Prospect Park Saturday, Aug. 16 in the annual Onset Chalk Festival to create artwork designed to make the world a better place.
Every year, the festival has a different theme inspired by a book to help artists decorate their assigned square. Event organizer Tammie Glass said this year’s theme is “make a beautiful world,” inspired by the event’s chosen book, “Miss Rumphius” by Barbara Cooney.
“The book this year is all about a woman whose grandfather tells her to do three things in life,” Glass said. “You have to travel the world, come home and live by the sea and do something to make the world more beautiful.”
Eight-year-old Trinity came down from Plymouth with her family for the event and took the theme to heart in her design.
“We were going to make ours underwater because there’s ocean around here and the ocean is nice,” she said.
Helping Trinity with her artwork was her great aunt Joanie Hibbard who seconded Trinity’s message.
“The fact of the matter is we can add a lot more love in the world so that’s why we’re doing it,” Hibbard said.
Jocelyn Vache of Easton has been coming to the event for many years but this was the first year she got to draw next to her mom Milly who has helped organize the event in the past.
“I’m excited that I can chalk next to her this year because she’s normally running around like a crazy lady,” Vache said.
While laying flat on a skateboard with kneepads on, Vache was working on her piece with a clear message of “empathy now.”
“Usually I do some kind of message involving insects or gardens but the theme is make a beautiful world and I think one thing we need now more than anything is empathy,” she said.
The event also featured almost 40 vendors, all of which had handmade crafts on display which Glass said is a requirement for all vendors.
“They have to have created their own product to be a part of chalk fest because this is about creativity and we try to celebrate that,” she said.
Jackie Hopp of South Dartmouth had her hand cut fused glass art on display for the second year in a row.
“I love being near the ocean and we got into the festival last year at the last minute and it was so much fun,” she said.
Using a kiln that gets up to 1,500 degrees, Hopp said she is able to create many different things right at home.
“I make a lot of these little pocket hearts which people really seem to love,” she said. “I try to come up with a lot of different themes and I also do a lot of night lights.”
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