Pastel pavements: Chalk artists converge on Lehi to showcase creativity, color and imagination at 2-day festival
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- Nanette Wakamatsu of Orem crafts a chalk art design inspired by South American culture at the annual Chalk It Up event Saturday, June 28, 2025, at Adobe in Lehi.
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- Chalk artist Jen Wootten works on a design of Kermit the Frog at the annual Chalk it Up event at Adobe in Lehi on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
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- A chalk art design of a clown is shown at the annual Chalk It Up event Saturday, June 28, 2025 at Adobe in Lehi.
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- People attend the annual Chalk it Up art festival Adobe in Lehi on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
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- Chalk artist Nate Vanderberg works on a design of Homer Simpson at the annual Chalk it Up event at Adobe in Lehi on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
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- Chalk artist Chelsea Snyder works on a design of a woman with a third eye at the annual Chalk it Up event at Adobe in Lehi on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
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- A chalk art design of the Mario Kart video game is shown at the annual Chalk It Up event Saturday, June 28, 2025, at Adobe in Lehi.
The central courtyard at the Adobe campus in Lehi got a colorful makeover during the seventh annual Chalk it Up art festival held Friday and Saturday.
The two-day event brings sidewalk chalk artists from across Utah to the outdoor space for a weekend filled with coloring, shading, blending and turning squares of blank pavement into large-scale masterpieces.
More than 130 artists showcased their vibrant talents competed for a range of prizes.
Summerisa Bell Stevens, president and co-founder of the Harrington Center for the Arts, which organizes Chalk it Up, says around 15,000 people of all ages converged on the Adobe campus to experience the temporary outdoor art gallery.
“You see elderly people, all the way down to tiny babies coming to this event, and it’s something that everyone can connect with,” she said. “And you know, with it being so close to you, you can feel the emotion in the pieces.”
Walking through the courtyard at the Adobe campus on Saturday, artists were seen with chalk sticks in hand creating pieces inspired by family, animals, cartoon characters and unique chalk art crafted from their own imagination.
Chalk It Up is considered Utah’s biggest chalk art festival and it is notable for its inclusivity, according to Stevens.
“Our youngest chalk artist this year is 2 years old and so really this is for all ages,” she told the Daily Herald. “No matter your skill level, we want you to be a part of our community.”
Nanette Wakamatsu, of Orem, crafted a geometric design inspired by ancient South American cultures Inco and Maya.
The piece featured distinct and vibrant colors.
“It’s really fun, kind of hard to map out to keep everything even, but a lot of fun to do,” she said.
Wakamatsu said much of the chalk art she does is inspired by different cultures.
“I look into a lot of their art and then incorporate those elements into my own style,” she said.
Art of such detail and magnitude doesn’t come together quickly, Wakamatsu said after doing all of the sketches, crafting the piece takes around 20-25 hours to finish.
Wakamatsu has been participating in Chalk it Up for the past six years, and she praised the Harrington Center for Arts for providing different events that showcase a range of art styles to the community.
Wakamatsu said she’s been doing art for as long as she can remember, something that keeps coming back to Chalk it Up each year is the chance to express her artistry freely.
“It’s kind of whatever has been interesting to me over the preceding months,” she told the Daily Herald.
Chalk it Up is one of nine programs offered by the Harrington Center for Arts in efforts to create community engagement and accessibility to a wide range of artistry.
This year, Chalk it Up was added as an official Lehi Round-up event. Stevens said she’s grateful that the city has welcomed the festival with open arms.
“Lehi Round-up is such an established community event that’s been around for decades, and so they have been wonderful to work with,” she said.
The event also featured hands-on learning zones, as well as interactive workshops for beginners and advanced artists.
