By LESLIE COLLINS
Northeast News
April 24, 2013

The cement slabs at The Concourse will soon become flush with color as artists create masterpieces with pieces of chalk for the Northeast Arts KC Chalk Walk festival April 27-28.

“We don’t have a real theme this year, but we like to think it’s about the art and the artists. We want to see bright, colorful, fun art as our feature,” said Rebecca Koop, executive director of Northeast Arts KC.

The free, family-friendly event will be held both days from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Concourse at Kessler Park, 200 Benton Blvd., and Northeast Arts will provide the chalk. This year, eight professional artists will be featured, but all are welcome to try their hand at chalk art, Koop said.

“Anyone can be an artist,” she said. “Draw enough stick men and hey, you’ve got a picture. It’s called pattern, texture. You just really have to think outside of your own box.”

In addition to drawing art on the cement, attendees can also decorate the parks and recreation department’s fiberglass cow, which is covered in chalk paint.

Food will be available for purchase on-site and a DJ will play music from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.

Several area organizations will set up booths at the event and include a local train club which will display a tabletop train, the North-East Public Library, the Kansas City Water Garden Society and Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (KCUMB) which will provide free health screenings. North-East library will give away books as well as have a story time and games.

One unique aspect of Chalk Walk is seeing art created before your own eyes, Koop said.

“It’s like being a kid again. It’s an opportunity to play, have fun, relive the creativity you forgot about as a child,” Koop said. “It’s not just about the artists, it’s about the viewer and the interaction. I don’t know too many venues where you can really meet an artist and watch them work. That’s actually rather rare.”