It’s 90 degrees out, there’s no shade, and Adriana Jimenez, a student from CU Denver‘s College of Arts and Media (CAM), is covered in sweat and chalk dust. The heat and multicolored chalk staining her body doesn’t bother her. She’s too focused on the vibrant art taking shape at her feet. Jimenez and a team of peers sketch their masterpiece, “Too Much Glue,” as part of the Denver Chalk Art Festival in Larimer Square.
Two CU Denver students working on the “Too Much Glue” Mural
Creating art on an 8-by-8 square of pavement can be difficult, but Jimenez and her team, along with 250 artists from around Colorado, embrace the challenge.
“Chalk art is challenging as a medium because it’s unstable,” Jimenez says. “If you don’t work quickly enough, the chalk goes away. It’s a great experience, but it is exhausting.”
The team’s chalk creation is inspired by a scene from a digitally animated short, “Too Much Glue,” which was the senior thesis project for students in the CAM’s Digital Animation Program. Jimenez and a team of 30 animators worked together to create their film over the last 18 months. This mural is the team’s swan song.
Students and alums working together on a tribute to the late David Bowie and Prince
Since the first Denver Chalk Art Festival, CAM has purchased two squares right on the doorstep of the CU Denver campus. One was purchased for Jimenez’s team and the other for the CU Denver Artworks Guild. The CU Denver Artworks Guild, comprised of current students and alumni, created a tribute mural to fallen pop icons Prince and David Bowie.
Chalk art may be temporary, but engaging with the Denver community through art creates a lasting impact and shares the talents of CU Denver students. The vivid colors of the chalk art piece created by Jimenez’s team and the CU Denver Artworks Guild offer a glimpse of the creative wealth found within our academic programs.
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