Walker Wins Chalktoberfest!

Marietta hosted the city’s premiere chalk art festival, Chalktoberfest, on October 10 and 11. The renowned art festival competition combined over 50 professional chalk artists, who created large scale chalk pieces on the streets of the Marietta Square. The artists did not let the gloomy skies and occasional rain ruin their spirits. The event started at 10 a.m. and by noon the Marietta Square was buzzing with spectators and artists with the addition of live music that energized the atmosphere at Chalktoberfest.

Artists of all ages, from elementary to high school participated in this annual event, painting Marietta’s streets with vibrant colors. In their first year participating in Chalktoberfest, Walker’s Art Club set the bar high as they took home first place for the high school competition. Walker came fully prepared with a stencil of the Marvel Comics Wolverine superhero. From there, the students stenciled the image and added different colors to bring their Wolverine to life in four hours with the help of ten students. Walker alumni Savannah Wakefield and Alexandria Nause were reunited with their former classmates as they helped create the superhero. As it began to rain, the students used their bodies to temporarily shield the artwork as others held umbrellas over the chalk piece before a tent arrived to cover the artwork. Throughout the day, spectators oohed and aahed over the art club’s chalk piece, taking pictures and complimenting the student artists. What began as an outline of a superhero was transformed into a colorful Wolverine who seemed to be exploding out of the concrete.

Upper School art teacher Bob Petersen said, “I liked the way all the students gathered together and not only did they work collaboratively together, but they just had fun. I think for me it was not only the collaborative part of it, obviously the image, and it was just a real fun event. And for the students to be able to go and see the professional artists was a plus as well.” Petersen hopes to participate in another chalk festival in the spring. Currently the art club is working on ceiling tiles for the art room and is helping create props for the NSA Players’ production of “The Addams Family” which opens on November 11.

Check out the photos below to see the creation of the superhero!

Walker wins high school competition at Chalktoberfest 2015!

Walker wins! Featured: Olivia Jarbeau (12), Alexandria Nause (alumni), Bob Petersen (Upper School art teacher), Karl Lee (10), Ellen Roberts (11), Anna Sun (10), Ali Manning (11), Isabel Schmieta (11), Peggy Zhao (10), Annie Huang (12), Danielle Lancaster (12), Savannah Wakfield (alumni)

Group hug! Featured: Olivia Jarbeau (12), Alexandria Nause (alumni), Bob Petersen (Upper School art teacher), Savannah Wakfield (alumni), Ali Manning (11), Ellen Roberts (11), Anna Sun (10), Isabel Schmieta (11), Peggy Zhao (10), Annie Huang (12), Danielle Lancaster (12)

Art Club posing with The Wolverine Bottom row: Savannah Wakfield (alumni), Alexandria Nause (alumni), Olivia Jarbeau (12), Ali Manning (11), Isabel Schmieta (11), Annie Huang (12), Peggy Zhao (10) Top row: Karl Lee (10), Ellen Roberts (11), Anna Sun (10), Danielle Lancaster (12)

The Art Club posing with The Wolverine Bottom row: Savannah Wakfield (alumni), Alexandria Nause (alumni), Olivia Jarbeau (12), Ali Manning (11), Isabel Schmieta (11), Annie Huang (12), Peggy Zhao (10) Top row: Karl Lee (10), Ellen Roberts (11), Anna Sun (10), Danielle Lancaster (12)

The finished masterpiece!

Ellen Roberts (11) and Danielle (12) posing with The Wolverine

Bottom row: Savannah Wakfield (alumni), Alexandria Nause (alumni), Olivia Jarbeau (12), Ali Manning (11), Isabel Schmieta (11), Annie Huang (12), Peggy Zhao (10) Top row: Karl Lee (10), Ellen Roberts (11), Anna Sun (10), Danielle Lancaster (12)

Featured: Anna Sun (10), Karl Lee (10), Danielle Lancaster (12), Sukey Gua (11), Peggy Zhao (10), Annie Huang (12), Ali Manning (11), Ellen Roberts (11), Olivia Jarbeau (12), Alexandria Nause (alumni)

Sophomore Anna Sun

Adding the final details

Almost done!

Sophomore Karl Lee working diligently

Featured: Olivia Jarbeau (12), Karl Lee (10), Anna Sun (10), Sukey Gua (11), Peggy Zhao (10), Ali Manning (11), Savannah Wakefield (alumni)

The Wolverine in its final stages!

Featured: Anna Sun (10), Sukey Gua (11), Karl Lee (10), Ali Manning (11), Peggy Zhao (10), Alexandria Nause (alumni)

Sophomore Karl Lee

The Wolverine

Featured: Ali Manning (11) and Savannah Wakefield (alumni)

English teacher and cross country coach Chris Golden showing his support!

The Wolverine

All smiles at Chalktoberfest! Featured: Danielle Lancaster (12)

Featured: Olivia Jarbeau (12), Alexandria Nause (alumni), and Savannah Wakefield (alumni)

The Wolverine

Featured: Annie Huang (12), Karl Lee (10), Olivia Jarbeau (12), and Peggy Zhao (10)

Featured: Peggy Zhao (10), Alexandria Nause (alumni), and Savannah Wakefield (alumni)

Featured: Danielle Lancaster (12), Savannah Wakefield (alumni), Sukey Gua (11), and Karl Lee (10)

The Wolverine

The Wolverine coming to life!

Olivia Jarbeau (12) using her body to shield the artwork!

Artists adding color to the Wolverine!

The Wolverine

Featured: Olivia Jarbeau (12), Savannah Wakefield (alumni), Annie Huang (12), Sukey Gua (11), Karl Lee (10), Peggy Zhao (10)

Featured: Alexandria Nause (alumni), Savannah Wakefield (alumni), Annie Huang (12), Sukey Gua (11), Karl Lee (10), Peggy Zhao (10), Danielle Lancaster (12), and Olivia Jarbeau (12)