Willow Glen Resident
Cover Story
Photograph by Vicki Thompson
Family Memories: Pierluigi Oliverio bought the home next to his parents Italo and Matilde on Cherry Avenue. His father came to California because the weather was too harsh in Michigan. Italo Oliverio says when he drove into Willow Glen, it felt like he had come home.
Chalk It Up
Lincoln Glen Park sidewalks become a canvas of expression
By Mayra Flores De Marcotte
An almost invisible film of chalk dust rises into the atmosphere and settles over Lincoln Glen Park. It's created from the images of painted faces with flowing hair, colorful animals and a bounty of artistic expression.
The gray sidewalks have come alive, and with it the faces of the passersby. Many stop to take in the temporary art that has turned the sidewalks into a living canvas.
Lincoln Glen Park in Willow Glen held the chalk art festival that brought out experienced artists, as well as grade-school children. San Jose's first Heart of Chaos Artisan Collective Chalk Art Festival drew artists from outside the community as well.
"Kids play with chalk all the time," says Willow Glen resident and artist Sara Mordecai. "A lot of children and adults alike have never seen this kind of artwork before. It gives them a chance to see the potential of the chalk. It gives them a different outlook."
The local artist was working off a sketch she drew of a woman. The brown and golden hues blended together, creating an image with surprising depth.
"What I like about chalk art is that it's a basic art form," Mordecai says. "It's a direct conversation between the mind and the hand."
The event, however, proved to be challenging because of its unusual canvas.
"We usually use chalk on pavement," she says. "This is sidewalk and a fine one at that. Nothing sticks to it. You have to layer a lot or it stays transparent."
Mordecai was one of nearly a dozen established and emerging artists along with families and children who took part in the chalk festival.
Heart of Chaos, an artisan collective and program of nonprofit public charity Catalyst for Youth, hosted the event and provided chalk and cash prizes, including a $250 prize to first-place winner Miguel Machuca. Second place went to Mordecai, and Dee Jae Paeste took third. The judges were San Jose District 6 Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio; Melanie Kay, an instructor at the Brooks Institute; and Carol Perez, an art teacher at Del Mar High School.
The festival, held June 23, will take place two more times over the summer, first in the Cambrian area and then returning to Willow Glen.
For Natasha Marciel, this was her first chalk art event. She crouched over her piece as she worked, creating a colorful mural with a woman's profile and a swell of wavy hair. The art was composed in hues of violet and indigo.
"There's a need for free events for the community to go to," Marciel says. "People need the opportunity to stop and slow down. This gives them the chance to relate to each other at a human level."
Marciel is from San Jose, but artist Monica Meza drove from Concord to participate in the festival.
"Art is a common goal," Meza says "Everyone can draw; they just have different abilities. There's a commonality that can bring communities together."
This was Meza's first chalk art festival and first time working with the medium.
"I do mostly drawings and paintings of cartoony stuff," Meza says.
She was blending shades of orange on a tiger with violet eyes.
"I'm pretty competent with animal pieces," she says. "I figured I should go with what I know before I jump in."
Liz Bacchi took in the display while her children romped in the water fountain.
"It spices up your Saturday," says Bacchi. She and friend Karrianne Bermea learned about the event earlier in the week. "Events like this make it so that people want to stay in their neighborhood during the weekend. It gives you a chance to be part of the community and connect with your friends. Kids can come out and spend time together."
The event was put together by Catalyst for Youth with the help of a mini-grant from the city of San Jose.
"I had seen chalk art done in England and then at Santana Row, and thought what fun it would be," says executive director and founder of Catalyst for Youth Joanne Hobbs. "What we're trying to do is create a community of seasoned artists alongside of 5-year-olds. It's a celebration of art and the ability to meet new people through a venue like a neighborhood park."
Hobbs created the nonprofit Catalyst for Youth in December 2002. It aims to create emotional stability and social responsibility, support creativity in every legitimate medium, and cater to youth and young adults between the ages of 13 and 25.
She would like the chalk art event to become a yearly tradition in most of San Jose's neighborhoods.
"You never know where it's going to go with a child," Hobbs says. "I hope this event will give them joy and fun and a sense of appreciation for this art form. I hope it becomes an inspiration for the children and teenagers alike."
The next chalk art event takes place at the Camden Community Center, 3369 Union Ave. on Aug. 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Gardner Community Center, 520 W Virginia St., will have a chalk art festival on Sept. 8.
Each event will have different artists and are free to the community.
For more information, visit www.catalystforyouth.org or e-mail Heart of Chaos program director Anabella Piñon at anabella@heartofchaos.net.
