By Dean Poling
VALDOSTA — A police officer stopped Thursday afternoon as Brian Wrinn quickly chalked a geometric design on the sidewalk in front of the Lowndes County Courthouse.
As the officer loomed above him, Wrinn explained the design as part of an art project for area youngsters. With the sun already sinking and about a dozen youngsters coming his way down Ashley Street, Wrinn kept drawing.
Seeing the youths, the officer nodded and walked away. Soon, the dozen youngsters were on their hands and knees, chalk in hands, turning Wrinn’s charcoal design into multi-colored sidewalk art.
These scenes were common sites this week as three groups of students tattooed the sunset sidewalks in a kaleidoscopic rainbow of chalk.
The students are part of the Valdosta State University Art, Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts and the Boys and Girls Club’s Art Explorations program.
Funded by the Griffin Family Foundation and a grant from the WalMart Foundation, the Art Explorations program has introduced art to dozens of Valdosta-area youngsters in recent years, said Cheryl Oliver, the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts executive director.
The sidewalk art was this week’s lesson in the 10-week fall program, “Public Art in Public Spaces,” said Dr. Stephen Lahr of VSU Art.
Lahr coordinates the programs and assigns VSU art-education students to lead the courses.
On Tuesday, Lahr and the VSU art students led 5- to 7-year-olds in sidewalk art; Wednesday, 8- to 9-year-olds; Thursday, 10- to 12-year-olds.
Lahr wanted the sidewalk art to be a part of Downtown Valdosta’s First Friday events, beautifying the city and raising awareness of the arts center, VSU and Boys and Girls Club project.
