On a dreary or chaotic day, a splash of color can lift spirits and instill optimism in a way that goes beyond words. Though evanescent, chalk art transforms dull sidewalks into works of art, creates lasting impressions, and reaches thousands in a way more conventional styles of fine art cannot. No wonder many Mormon artists have found chalk to be a powerful way to share their beliefs.
Marriage Foursquare, New York
Photograph courtesy of Aaron Potter and Brad Witbeck
Photograph courtesy of Aaron Potter and Brad Witbeck
While proselytizing in New York City, Elders Aaron Potter and Brad Witbeck preached the gospel in many unique ways. From setting upwardly free shoe-shine stations to singing on the subway to building an enormous snowfall sculpture of the temple, these elders kept decorated equally they used their inventiveness to accomplish missionary work.
One such project received international attention: a chalk fine art masterpiece sprawled across Union Foursquare, representing the plan of salvation.
On October 18, 2013, the project took an entire zone of twenty missionaries over an hr to complete, but the missionary work that resulted from the project spanned years. "We figured people who were interested enough to look might exist interested enough to mind," Potter and Witbeck say. After a ward fellow member created a YouTube video showing the cosmos of the artwork, news stations began picking upwards the story beyond the nation. The two elders even created a web log almost the project called Reach My Gospel—1 that gained interest and comments of people from vii continents.
Afterward, the missionaries were inspired to create a chalk art cartoon of the tree of life in Washington Square Park with the aid of several wards in the surface area. "Information technology was amazing to see how much it got people excited to share the gospel in ways that would be unique and personal to them," Potter and Witbeck share. "We learned that the Spirit tin guide usa in ways nosotros may have never predictable."
Photo courtesy of Aaron Potter and Brad Witbeck
Nuremberg, Germany
Photograph courtesy of Emily Hyatt
"I believe it'south important to be yourself equally a missionary because God sent y'all to a sure area considering of your specific personality and gifts," says Emily Hyatt, a returned missionary who served from 2014 to 2016 in the Germany Frankfurt Mission. Sis Hyatt'south mission president encouraged that belief, challenging missionaries to use their specific talents to share the light of the gospel.
"I wanted to find a way to use my talents to spread the gospel," Hyatt says. That'southward why she and other missionaries in her surface area decided to put on a chalk fine art street display in the open square of Weisser Turm in Nuremberg, Germany. Considering she wanted to capture something specific to her religion, Sister Hyatt created an intricately detailed picture of Moroni burying the aureate plates that took over six hours to create.
"The drawing of Moroni made it really simple for us to explicate the Volume of Mormon to people who had never heard of information technology," Hyatt explains. "Nosotros got the run a risk to talk to people who may never accept stopped otherwise."
New York City, New York
Photo courtesy of Mark Hedengren
While walking along the hectic streets of New York City, professional photographer Marker Hedengren stumbled across a striking chalk art cartoon he instantly recognized: the plan of conservancy.
Though continuing outside a busy subway station, Hedengren stopped for a moment as he immune the significance of this image that captures and so much of our beliefs to set in. "I don't remember where I was traveling to at the time, but I remember the image made such an impression that I had to go dorsum to my apartment and get my camera," he says.
Though he doesn't know the author of the piece of work or even the exact day or place he discovered it, Hedengren still recalls the bear upon such a uncomplicated prototype tin can accept. "[Chalk art] is such an interesting art form because information technology'southward only around for a brief moment, only it creates a unique way to express yourself and your beliefs," he says.
Aliso Viejo, California
Chalk art past Aydé Juárez from Guadalajara, Mexico, who took 1st place in the 2016 Christmas Chalk Walk adult category; Photograph courtesy of Kristin Kamerman
Chalk art by Ever Galvez from Santa Barbara, California; Photo courtesy of Kristin Kamerman
For three years, the Laguna Niguel Stake in Aliso Viejo, California, has put on a Christmas Chalk Walk that has grown from 35 participating artists to 150. In fact, the 2016 outcome saw such success—with v-year-olds to professional person artists from all over the world participating and over 3,000 visitors attending the ii-dark upshot—that the metropolis of Aliso Viejo decided to squad up with the stake in creating and promoting the 2017 Chalk Walk.
But Kristen Kamerman, the issue organizer for the by two years, knows that the success of the event lies non just in the talent of the artists but in creating inspiration and drawing others closer to the Savior. "I [take] witnessed endless organized religion-building opportunities, tender mercies, personal revelations, unity, and more. The Spirit [is] nowadays at all times. We all help light the world at this very special time of year," she says.
The event helps those from all faiths gloat their behavior and a shared love of Jesus Christ. In 2015, a professional person creative person named Gabriela from Guadalajara, United mexican states, created a scenic epitome of an eye with the temple reflected in information technology. Kamerman remembers the surprise she felt when she learned Gabriela was not a member of the Church.Mexico, created a breathtaking paradigm of an eye with the temple reflected in it. Kamerman remembers the surprise she felt when she learned Gabriela was non a member of the Church. "I asked, 'What made yous decide to do the eye with the reflection of the temple?'" Kamerman recalls. "[Gabriela] said, 'I'm doing that for yous. I'yard doing it for all of you.'" Effectually the pic, Gabriela wrote a quote from Elder Gary E. Stevenson, "Yous are never lost when yous can run into the temple."
Chalk art by Willi Zin from Long Beach, California; Photo courtesy of Kristin Kamerman
Chalk art past Willi Zin from Long Embankment, California; Photograph courtesy of Kristin Kamerman
Chalk art by Victor Segoviano from Guanajuato City, Mexico, who won 2nd Place in the 2016 Christmas Chalk Walk adult category; Photo courtesy of Kristin Kamerman
Chalk art past Victor Segoviano from Guanajuato Urban center, Mexico, who won 2nd Identify in the 2016 Christmas Chalk Walk adult category; Photo courtesy of Kristin Kamerman
Moscow, Russia
Photo courtesy of Paul Gallo
Photograph courtesy of Paul Gallo
Photograph courtesy of Paul Gallo
"Contacting people who have serious challenges trusting each other, let alone foreigners, made contacting similar a stone wall many times in our mission," says Paul Gallo, a returned missionary who served in Russia from 2007 to 2009. But Elder Gallo and Elder Jace Warren found a way to break down those barriers by drawing an epitome of Christ coming to the Nephites and Lehi's dream of the tree of life in public centers in Moscow.
"Drawing the Savior'south coming to the Nephites drew people in in a way that touched their hearts," Gallo says. "Russians are actually very emotional, sensitive people. They dearest fine art and dazzler." Around the artwork, Elderberry Gallo was sure to add scriptures from the Book of Mormon. "The written word is also very powerful for Russians. After breaking the initial barriers, the bulk of those with whom I shared any bit of the Volume of Mormon regarded it with deep reverence," he says. Afterward, Gallo learned that in response to the chalk fine art he and other missionaries created, a homo began investigating the Church building, eventually condign converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The power Gallo saw on his mission that comes from chalk fine art has connected throughout his life. "I have fallen in dearest with drawing the Savior and often mail service my pictures on Facebook with a scripture, quote, or personal testimony. The Spirit prompted me to do this most a year agone, and I see how much these drawings touch on others in a positive way—even people who are non members or who take left the Church," he says. "God does requite us talents for a reason and wants us to develop the raw material in our souls for His glory."
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