On Saturday, artists from Chicago and beyond brought the community together with interactive chalk art pieces at the Chalk Howard Street event.
On Saturday afternoon, two gaping holes were spotted in Rogers Park.
A colorful alien with bug eyes and antennae emerged from the crater on Howard Street.
A few steps away, people skipped across pieces of concrete scattered over a portal into space. If you looked into the void, you could see a view of the Bean sitting atop of planet Earth.
As it turns out, it was all an illusion.
As part of the annual Chalk Howard Street, artists from Chicago and throughout the U.S. created 3D works from chalk art. Their designs decorated the portion of Howard Street between Paulina Street and Ashland Avenue. And there were some 2D images, featuring everything from a humorous portrait of Bart Simpson to a vivid rendering of the Chicago Cubs logo.
The free, family-friendly event, which started in 2019, typically draws a couple thousand attendees to the neighborhood. When they weren’t engaging with the art, people enjoyed musical performances and browsed vendors offering food and handmade items.
Artists, residents and event organizers championed the festival for bringing people together in a fun, creative way.
“When I’m at other festivals, a lot of times the community spaces are contrived,” said Atlanta-based artist Zachary Herndon, 40, who created the 3D view of Earth.
