Students from around the region gather for chalk-art contest

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Students from several high schools across Southern Illinois descended on Harrisburg Middle School Monday to draw on the sidewalk.

The occasion was the second Harrisburg High School Sidewalk Art contest. The contest is held at the middle school because the sidewalks are more suitable for art projects.

A team from Vienna won the contest with a chalk drawing combining themes from Hollywood and Las Vegas.

A team from Harrisburg including Kaitlyn Wallace, Elise Tobiasson, Tonya Tuttle and Melody Malone took second with a face that resembled a punk girl.

A team from Carrier Mills-Stonefort including Tamar Williams, Angela Guyton, Taryn Jolly and Rachel Hanold took third.

Teams had 3 1/2 hours to design, draw and finish their sidewalk art before judging began. Tools include pieces of colored chalk, rags and bare hands. After several hours of work, blending chalk into the sidewalk with bare hands can get rough.

"My fingers are raw. I should have brought gloves," Jacob Feuquay said.

Some teams used aerosol hairspray as a fixer to keep drawings from fading or blowing away.

Drawings ranged from whimsical or cartoonish to macabre. One drawing, a depiction of John McCain and Barack Obama, could go either way depending upon one's perspective. A team from Carrier Mills-Stonefort drew upon Foster's Home of Imaginary Friends for inspiration.

"Except high-schoolers watch it too," Katie Thouvenin said.

A team from Anna-Jonesboro drew a Warholian Marilyn Monroe. Another team drew what looked as though it was developing into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Album covers and a depiction that somewhat resembled mural art could also be seen at the competition.

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