LUNA PARK ARTS – CHALK ART FESTIVAL
The Luna Park Arts Chalk Festival was filled with spirit, drama, and tradition on Saturday, September 16. Adults and children from all around the Bay Area came and participated in this family-friendly celebration on the festival’s 10th anniversary. The festival was all about expressing your art through chalk. Over 3,000 students and artists came together and started drawing, each with their own message.
Abraham Lincoln High had their own chalk spot. The club representing Lincoln High School was the National Arts Honors Society, or for short, the NAHS. Led by teachers Ms. Zamora and Ms. Arredondo, the club (at the moment) has about 13 members who are all devoted to bettering the community through art.
The message the club had at the festival was “We support our D.R.E.A.M.ers.” It shows an amazing picture of Frida Kahlo with monarch wings resembling butterfly migrations and immigrants. But not all were so happy about what the N.A.H.S put, specifically the festival managers. The KKUP had a problem with the message because they were a public radio company, and they didn’t want the message of the club seem like they were in agreement. So the company decided that they were going to crop the picture, but it didn’t seem like that happened because the picture is fully there on their website. T check out and view the radio show KKUP, here’s the link: http://www.kkup.org/
If you are interested in joining the club, Siena Da Costa Pinto, the Co-Vice President says “do it.” The President of NAHS, Zoe Quon, added, “We are a club designed to spread and share art through helping the community. If you like to do art and want to get community service hours while doing it, definitely join the club.”
With that said, if you’re a DREAMer and love to make art, the NAHS will support you all the way.
There were a lot more people at the festival with their own messages and stories to share. Paige, a woman at the festival, did a drawing of a boombox girl. The image expressed her love of bright colors and classic 80’s style. “I love dancing,” Paige said, “so my drawing is a representation of old school music. I had originally planned it to be a boy, but I like it this way.”
Other artists were Steven, who did detailed chalk art of a blue dragon, and Carolina Chaves, who made an intricate design of jellyfish in the sea. Chris Carrillo, whose skull art envisioned a dead man with horns, alongside the wholesome store Trader Joe’s that recreated their own rendition of Alice in Wonderland. Whether it was women’s rights or waves in the sea, all artists spoke through their chalk.
Besides the amazing art at the festival, there were also performances by the local performers around the area. The bands that played were Coffee Zombie Collective, O’Craven, and traditional Native American dancers.
Before each dance by the traditional Native American dancers, they explained what their dances meant. “Our feet are caressing the earth,” one woman explained. “We are giving thanks to our Earth.” The air was heavy with herbal incense, as the dancers started moving in a circle. Around their feet were bells made of nuts, and on their faces was paint of different colors. Great big feather tails (like a peacock), were behind each of the ladies. They did three dances.
After the last dance, they invited the crowd to do a “friendship dance.” Deciding to be brave, this reporter joined. We held hands with the person next to us and jumped to the drum beat, moving in a tight circle.
The Luna Park Arts Chalk Festival overall was a great experience for kids and adults alike. The different art styles were inspiring to watch as they were drawn. The food trucks had burritos and a selection of Mediterranean food. All the staff was very friendly and helpful. The chance to meet various artists from all around the Bay was exciting. Ms. Zamora, the teacher leader of the NAHS said, “It was amazing (the festival), and it gave the students a really great opportunity to sell their art. And we got a lot phenomenal feedback from everybody that purchased the art, we also got great feedback from the people who viewed the mural…It was really wonderful that everybody loved the student art.”
