The block of Mill Street near the Monroe County Courthouse in Waterloo is still decorated with dozens of drawings from folks in and out of the community from Saturday, with some featuring a mermaid or phoenix and others serving as cartoon and film homages.

That art is the work of those talented individuals who participated in Chalk-A-Lot, an annual event which celebrated its fourth year in the community and seems to be growing into a local staple.

Organized by the Monroe County Arts Alliance, Chalk-A-Lot serves as one of several events meant to highlight the artistic abilities of Monroe County residents.

Another key event, Arts in the Park, takes place in Columbia each year, with the alliance organizing or contributing to a number of other events to highlight its members which include Monroe Actors Stage Company, the Busch Light Brigade and Kaskaskia Trail Chorus, among others.

Monroe County Arts Alliance President Marcia Braswell previously spoke with the Republic-Times to describe the goal of Chalk-A-Lot, serving as a means of highlighting the areas visual artists who often don’t get the same opportunity to show their work as local theatre troupes or music acts.

The idea for the event came from Don Carrington, who said he was inspired to propose Chalk-A-Lot thanks to a similar event he’d enjoyed in his hometown of Jasper, Ind.

Chalk-A-Lot held its first event in 2022, and it’s already been able to settle down as something of a local tradition.

This past Saturday saw artists gather throughout the day on Mill Street, working away on a variety of illustrations.

Artists competed in their respective age brackets – 12-14, 15-19 and 20-plus – with an additional category for professional artists.

This year, Bennett Sellner placed first in the 12-14 bracket, followed by Aspen Whitehouse and Hudson Keim. Lilliana Register took first in the 15-19 bracket, followed by Emma Hanlin and Saddie Kaiser-Smith. And in the 20-plus bracket, Jamie Lanman won alongside Amanda Chase and Renee Roider.

In the professional category, Daniel Cassen took first with Liz LeSaulnier taking second.

Earning a unique distinction with the title of both best in show and people’s choice was Chelsea Meise.

Also during the event, attendees were treated to an assortment of musical performances which ran all through the day. There were also some treats and refreshment options available – namely an appearance from Oh Sugar! – though folks were also encouraged to patronize restaurants in downtown Waterloo.

Of course, families also had the opportunity to grab some chalk and decorate Mill Street, and folks also simply enjoyed the shade on the courthouse lawn.

Braswell expressed her pleasure at this year’s attendance, with around 50 artists registered in total. Most of those artists were from Monroe County, though some stopped by from St. Louis and surrounding areas. One youngster returned for his second Chalk-A-Lot all the way from Iowa.

“The majority were from Monroe County and the areas around Monroe County,” Braswell said. “That’s part of what we really wanted to do was to reach all the kids and adults in the local area.”

She was quite pleased in speaking about the growth this event has seen over the past few years in terms of artist registration, guest attendance and filling slots for musical performances.

The collection of activities at Chalk-A-Lot has also been able to increase with food vendors and offerings like face-painting and clown performances.

The event was also visited by 106.5 FM The Arch, which conducted a live broadcast on the courthouse grounds.

Braswell voiced thanks to the community for the support shown these past four years.

“The cause and the reason for growth is because people now know what Chalk-A-Lot is,” Braswell said. “Even if they don’t participate, they love to come watch, and then they spread the word to other people.”

She also offered her thanks to the art teachers in the area who have played a big role in encouraging youth attendance at the event.

A particular point of pride for Braswell this year was the sort of festival atmosphere Chalk-A-Lot was able to achieve, specifically with the folks who stuck around for most of the day.

“The thing that I noticed throughout the day this year more than ever before… we had families there,” Braswell said. “We had families sticking around for a long time. I saw people put a blanket down on the lawn and just kind of be watching and taking advantage while their kids were getting their faces painted or drawing in the family area. I think that part has really grown, and I really appreciate that.”

The success of this year’s Chalk-A-Lot was also a source of pride for Carrington, who continues to support the event as a sponsor.

“It’s an honor,” Carrington said. “Like anything, you have an idea, and you have hopes and dreams that it’s going to turn into something one day. I could liken it to PumpkinFest, how that has taken off and now is a niche. The overall goal from the beginning is to get the community, the county more aware that we have an Arts Alliance.”

He, too, thanked the community for all the support, suggesting the county seems to be seeing an upswing in attendance for other artistic events such as theatrical performances as well.

“We might be the muscle, but the community, if they don’t want it, they would let you know,” Carrington said. “They have overwhelmingly told us they want this.”

The Republic-Times also heard from first place professional artist Cassen, who has participated in every Chalk-A-Lot to date.

With a background in math and a job as an electrical engineer but a long held passion for the arts, he recalled developing his artistic talents in college through some murals and pumpkin-carving contests.

Around 2014, Cassen started doing chalk art in his driveway, so Chalk-A-Lot seemed right up his alley.

As he explained, the event provides him with a rare outlet for his artistic talents, but he’s also found an appreciation for the community that gathers each year.

“It gives me an excuse to go out there and have fun and draw, which I don’t usually have,” Cassen said. “It’s a great time. It’s got a great atmosphere, all the people there, the food, family fun stuff, music playing in the background. It’s just a good time.”

He further spoke to the benefits Chalk-A-Lot provides as a venue for younger artists in the area.

“I do notice a lot more young people, which is really encouraging,” Cassen said. “I like to see those kids come out there and give it a shot, and every year they get better. It’s really amazing to watch other people grow as artists.”

With another successful year in the books – and the artwork graciously not entirely ruined by rain just yet – Chalk-A-Lot is expected to return once again next year.

Carrington remarked that he’d be pleased to see the event receive so many registrations that they need to block another street for the event – though Braswell emphasized they plan to keep their growth gradual.

She said the volunteer organizers don’t have much of a plan as far as how big they’d like to see Chalk-A-Lot get, but they’re always looking to make it better with the feedback they get each year.

“At this point, we’re taking it year by year and learning from each event what we can do to make it better,” Braswell said. “This is all volunteers. We’re reliant on our sponsors as well to help us provide the funding we need. And then all the labor and all the planning is a totally volunteer effort. I think we’re very much about steady growth.”