PATRICK SULLIVAN/TIMES-NEWS file Cabell Brand was 12 when he showed off the chalk on his hand as he took part in the 2005 Chalk It Up for History on Main Street, Hendersonville.
from staff reports
Published: Sunday, July 12, 2009 at 4:30 a.m.
PATRICK SULLIVAN/TIMES-NEWS file Cabell Brand was 12 when he showed off the chalk on his hand as he took part in the 2005 Chalk It Up for History on Main Street, Hendersonville.
from staff reports
Published: Sunday, July 12, 2009 at 4:30 a.m.
Spaces for Saturday's 13th annual Chalk It Up! sidewalk art contest are gone now, says organizer Barbara Hughes, owner of Narnia Studios on Main Street in Hendersonville.
"We have only been registering for a few days now and over two thirds of the spaces are already filled," said Hughes on June 25, who began reserving spaces for artists on June 9. People are registering for the free contest much earlier than other years.
Each July, Chalk It Up! draws thousands of visitors to downtown Hendersonville to witness the transformation of the city sidewalks from blank canvas to a panoramic artistic expression.
Chalk It Up received national attention when it was featured in Southern Living magazine a few years ago and has grown more popular each year.
Hughes attributes the event's popularity to its innocence and charm.
"One hundred and fifty artists from under 5 years old to over 75 years old come together to transform the sidewalks of downtown into an outdoor museum," Hughes said. "It gives everyone who is lucky enough to reserve a space a chance to feel ownership of that square of Main Street for whatever length of time their artwork lasts, weather-wise!"
Categories for the free contest are 5 and under, 6-8 years old, 9-12 years old, 13-20 years, 21 and older, professional and charity. Registration lasts until the spaces are filled.
Each contestant is provided with a bucket with 20 different colors of chalk sticks. No outside medium is allowed.
Five winners in each age category receive a prize, donated by local merchants. The professional category has one best of show winner. The charity category winner receives a $50 U.S. Savings Bond.