With a motto of “It’s fun! It’s free! It’s contagious!,” the Monrovia Association of Fine Arts (MAFA) recently staged an at-home chalk art festival called the Monrovia ChalkDemic. It aimed to let Monrovia residents and professional artists anywhere create sidewalk chalk art at home and compete for prizes. The suggested theme was celebrating Monrovia, but artists were free to create the theme of their choosing.
Launched on July 29, the participants had five days to create their masterpieces on their sidewalks and driveways. With residents being cooped up at home and professional artists having art show after show canceled, this was a way for everyone to have fun community wide and create art at home.
Staffers from the City of Monrovia and Monrovia Public Library along with kids from the Boys & Girls Club of the Foothills and Monrovia Rotary Club volunteers joined in the fun. From the steps of City Hall to Canyon Park, the city staffers’ colorful chalk art carried the Monrovia Strong theme and reminded everyone of ways to stay healthy during the COVID pandemic.
MAFA board members served as contest judges and had a difficult time choosing the winners among all the outstanding and whimsical photo entries that came in by the Aug. 2 deadline. They chose three winners in each of the two categories: amateurs and professionals (listed here in order by last name):
Amateurs
- Makayla and MaryJo Campbell – “Thank You Heroes.”
- Julie, Amy and Ava Vogel and Mary Stohlman – “Neighborhood Pups on a Quilt” (along with Mike, Ansel and Hazel Harrington, Rick and Adam Wullschleger, and Domonique and Jacquie Montoya).
- Lauren, Julie, Sarah and Valerie Tripp – “Candyland!”
Professionals
- Yuji Baba – “Box Jewelers Clock.”
- Carlos Chavez – “Paris Lights.”
- Emma Schoeni – “Rey” (from the Star Wars films).
“Candyland!” from Lauren, Julie, Sarah and Valerie Tripp. – Courtesy photo / MAFA 
“Neighborhood Pups on a Quilt” from Julie, Amy and Ava Vogel and Mary Stohlman. – Courtesy photo / MAFA 
“Thank You Heroes” from Makayla and MaryJo Campbell. – Courtesy photo / MAFA
Air-Tro Heating & Air Conditioning sponsored the prizes distributed to the winners: Each received a $50 gift certificate from one of Monrovia’s small businesses. The Monrovia Chamber of Commerce supported the ChalkDemic by drawing the names of six small businesses from among its members that would provide the gift certificates that Air-Tro funded.
The grateful response from the community and the participants was so overwhelming that the MAFA board is already planning on its next at-home chalk event to be announced soon. Watch the MAFA website monroviafinearts.org and Facebook page for the latest news.
