Chalking competition promotes creativity

In the southern end of the Doudna Fine Arts Center, the walls of a three-story stairwell serve as a chalk-covered canvas for Eastern artists.

With walls covered in chalkboard paint, the entire stairwell is a medium that art majors use to practice and test their creativity.

Dan Crews, director of patron services for the Doudna Fine Arts Center, said the stairwell is an excellent opportunity for art students to express their ideas and imagination on a grand scale beyond the classroom.

Anyone who uses the stairs can see the students’ art, allowing the public to enjoy and critique the works, Crews said.

In return, the artists get valuable feedback and a way to display their art in a more accessible location than a gallery, he said.

And since the art is done in chalk, the whole stairwell can be used over and over again.

Various art projects have been featured on the stairwell since the Doudna was reopened in 2008.

He said each project usually has a theme that faculty members decide upon for example one year the theme was “Under the Sea.”

“Under the Sea” extended the whole length of the stairwell, beginning with a beach scene at the third floor and eventually descending to the bottom of the ocean at the first floor.

Crews described how more than a dozen different students contributed to the work and how each fish had its own unique style and personality.

Stephanie Frank, a senior studio art major, walks through the stairwell frequently and said her favorite project was an urban-themed mix of graffiti and tattoo styles.

So far this semester the stairwell remains blank, except for a few personal drawings by students.

However, students’ projects will begin appearing soon, said Sue Rardin, office administrator for the arts department.

To determine the theme and direction of a project, faculty members will decide the theme and encourage student input, she said.

In the meantime, any student is welcome to buy chalk and contribute their art and messages to the stairwell as long as they are not offensive and the stairwell is not reserved for upcoming projects, Rardin said.

Students are also encouraged to view and contribute chalk art to the bathrooms in the southern end of the Doudna. Each bathroom’s entire wall surface is covered in chalkboard paint.

Tim Deters can be reached at 581-2821 or at [email protected]