by Ellyn Wexler, Staff Writer
Public Art Reston’s ChalkFest transformed Reston Town Center into a vibrant explosion of color and creativity on Oct. 20, drawing more than a thousand visitors. About 300 artists—ranging from professionals to amateurs, alongside families and children—turned Market Street’s pavement squares into stunning canvases.
Penny Hauffe, a seasoned chalk artist, recalls stumbling upon a chalk festival at Lake Anne around 12 years ago. Since then, both she and her husband Phil Erickson have embraced the chalk art scene, even creating driveway masterpieces during the pandemic. “I love everything about a chalk festival,” Hauffe said, highlighting the thrill of public engagement, honing her 3-D skills, getting wonderfully filthy with chalk, and witnessing the creativity of others. “Regular participation has led to chalk art jobs for me at other events and businesses,” she added.
Ben Morse, another featured artist, was once hesitant about chalk art due to its messy nature. “I always tried to use it like a pencil,” he explained. But with more experience from art school, he grew to embrace the medium. Since 2015, Morse has been a regular at ChalkFest, often drawing animals. This year, his award-winning zebra captivated the crowd.
A panel of judges, including artist/South Lakes STEAM Team teach Marco Rando, artist/Reston Community Center [RCC] art instructor Tracie Griffith Tso, and South Lakes High School seniors Izzie Brabant and Haley Caicedo, evaluated the creations. Hunter Mills Supervisor Walter Alcorn, RCC Executive Director Bebe Nguyen, and Arts Fairfax President Stuart Holt announced the winners.
The People’s Choice awards went to Francis Deppner (first), Brianna Camp (second), and Ben Morse (third). In the Amateur Artist category, Suticha Mungkurnkarn took first place, followed by Vesna Cottrel and Abigail Sherwood. For Professional Artists, Brianna Camp claimed first, with Troy Wingard and Penny Hauffe rounding out the top three. Family & Kids winners included Andrew Gordon, Ross Horio, and Sayuri Horio.
The event wasn’t just about chalk! Face painting and live music by Bach to Rock Herndon added extra charm to the unseasonably beautiful day. All proceeds from the event will support future public art projects and programs. To check out the winners' work, visit https://publicartreston.org/chalkfest-2024-winners/.
Left: Professional Artist, 1st place: Brianna Camp Right: People's Choice Awards, 3rd place: Ben Morse
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