Dogwood Arts Chalk Walk 2024

Dogwood Arts presented the 2024 Chalk Walk this past weekend the event and the artists delivered the goods. The day started out a bit chilly, but the sun warmed things up nicely and by the time the judging started the day settled into a groove somewhere between good and perfect. And the art amazed.

It’s impossible to compare one year to another for any event from Big Ears to the Chalk Walk, but the art this year seemed as good as any I remember. I heard several people say they thought it might have been the best year they had seen. The top-end was excellent, but the scope of good work ran deep, as well.

I can’t begin to pronounce one work or another as “the best,” and I’ll leave that to the professionals. The few that you see included here in large format are among my favorites and I have the whole trove below so you can click through and enlarge them as you like.

Taking them is a challenge for a professional photographer and I’m no professional, but I did my best to photograph every entrant and present as best as I am able. Between shooting around the large crowds, some drawings being degraded or partially covered with debris, some in partial sun and shade, moving shadows and the challenging angle, they aren’t all perfect.

Knox News had an entry and it featured my favorite quote: “You must be in tune with the times and willing to break with tradition.” A bit of wisdom from James Agee. One of my favorite concepts was the reproduction of the NY Times Connections game with an East Tennessee Flavor. My favorite entry name was “Team Name.” I really enjoyed seeing the kids from West Valley Middle School huddled over their animal menagerie.

The best part of the event is watching friends making art together, families making art together, or even the lone artists deep into their work, shutting out the world with their earbuds. It’s just a positively creative day in both senses of the phrase and I enjoy it every year.

This year I was joined by Urban Daughter, Urban Girl, and Urban Boy, which was fun. We took an early pass through before the crowds grew too much, an afternoon cruise through when it was near impossible to walk, and I came back for the photos about 5:30, which is just about right. The crowds have died down by then and the art is complete and hasn’t been messed up so much.

If you missed it, be sure to check it out next year. It’s one of the great pleasures of a downtown spring.