Every year, Larimer Square becomes a center for street art — but not enjoy the murals and graffiti you find in RiNo. This road art is literally on the streets, as chalk musicians spend 2 weeks drawing on the floor to make stunning works of art.
Sadly, this year the festival has been interrupted with two different rain storms — one on Saturday and the other on Sunday — which washed away a lot of the detail the artists spent creating. However, that didn’t prevent the artists — should they’re painting they must understand the temporary nature of the craft — and a number took a second and third chance in cleanup their own piece. The rain too didn’t prevent the juried portion of the festival, which delivered awards to eight adults and four youth participants. We’ve included an inventory of all the winners and pictures of a few of the ones who preserved their integrity.
Best in Show – 1st
Click to see slideshow.
Maeva McCarthy produced a photo-realistic encounter with only the appropriate colors for skin tones and hair. The beauty caught people in their paths, and also the freckles weren’t readily forgotten. If McCarthy’s award was called out, people in the crowd gasped because they recalled her piece as a highlight during the weekend.
Most Whimsical
Click to see slideshow.
The first piece that Christina Jalaly generated suffered from the second round of rainfall, but she was able to bring back something whimsical in its location. Her choice of vibrant, saccharine colors popped out of this newly wetted pavement.
Best Use of Color
Click to see slideshow.
“Circle of Life” made by Jared Linton won the best use of color, and unlike past winners in this group, his composition wasn’t excessively saturated. Rather than relying on the amount of color, Linton employed a clever pattern to signify shadows and highlights through color. At first glance, his piece wasn’t even a showstopper — however upon closer review, it had been one of the very top of the festival, no questions asked.
Finest 3D
“Rhapsody in Squares” from Joshua Rau
Joshua Rau’s bit depended on the geometry of squares to show a 3D effect. Following the second storm, the proposal of three-dimensionality remained, and the color and composition of the item was proof of Rau’s ability .
The Rest of The Awards
Sooner or later, these pieces were magnificent. But, with the second bout of rainthat they were too washed out for our own photographs to perform justice. Here’s a glimpse of what they were like if the judges made their rounds.
Best in Show – 2nd Place
Photo courtesy Denver Chalk Art Festival
Katerina Vuletich, “Butterflies from the Sky. ” Vuletich painted one of our personal favorites last year, the Bob Ross portrait. At 2017, she won the Best Use of Color category. This season, her flair and style returned in force, and the judges handed it accordingly with another location Best in Show. We’re hoping to see her win place next year.
Best in Show – 3rd Place
Photo courtesy Denver Chalk Art Festival
Daniel Chavez “Frida Stop Motion. ” Last year, Daniel Chavez won second place in the Best in Show category to get a collaboration he did with Eddie Huang. Chavez is gifted at portraits and the Frida Kahlo he captured was lovely before it had been washed off.
Best Reproduction of a Master’s Work
Photo courtesy Denver Chalk Art Festival
Olivia McLeod “La Frileuse. ” Returning for another win in this class is McLeod, that won in 2017 having an equally stunning reproduction. McLeod knows her older masters and she is nearly unmatched in her ability to depict them .
First Place People’s Choice
Photo courtesy Denver Chalk Art Festival
Natalie Gillespie “Red Fox. ” Gillespie knows how to please the traffic to this Chalk Art Fest because this is the second year in a row she’s won People’s Choice. Last year, she made a colorful lion and now she used the big, cute eyes of a fox to enchant audiences.
—
All pictures from Annelise Blackwood, unless otherwise noted.
Buy Tickets for every event – Sports, Concerts, Festivals and more buy tickets
