Chalk art is a visual presentation of art usually done on a public area, such as parks, beaches, or schools. It serves the purpose of embellishing an isolated area of the town and bringing back the liveliness of the atmosphere. Janet Hwang, a junior at Orange County High School of Arts has recently started a Chalk Art Club in the city of Cypress.
Hwang has participated in chalk art drawing each year at a school event called, OCHSella. “Participating in a chalk art drawing event introduced me to a more diverse and fun way to bond with other people and also make the streets more lively,” said Hwang. Hwang states that she was inspired by her art teacher, who looked over the school’s chalk art event, to start her own Chalk Art Club in Cypress.
“Drawing and painting is interesting, but I have always wanted to try something new to make art more friendly and accessible for the public, and I think chalk art serves that purpose very well,” stated Hwang. To pursue her goal of making art more public and accessible, Cypress Chalk Art Club and Hwang will move throughout Cypress from one park to the next each week, to present art to more people and bring back liveliness to more parks.
Despite her passion in spreading the art, Hwang faced some critical challenges on her way to establishing the club. She stated, “I had trouble persuading people to realize that art is not that difficult and confusing to understand. At first not many teenagers wanted to participate in chalk art because they thought they did not have the artistic ability to, and it took me some time and effort to explain to them that art is not as scary as they think it is.”
She wishes to see Cypress Chalk Art Club ongoing for years after years, continuing to spread the art throughout the community. “I want to get the Cypress Chalk Art Club to grow and permanently set in part of the community,” said Hwang.
