Ventura High School’s chalk festival pushes students to explore new limits

The history, backstory and aftermath of the chalk festival

Lourdes Almalab

Belen Hibbler

The annual VHS chalk festival took place in front of the statue on May 12 and 13. The history of the chalk festival is rooted deep in VHS history. It is not just some random event put on by the art department.

The first VHS chalk festival began in 1987 with art teacher Patty Post. She attended the first chalk festival in Santa Barbara called I Madonnari in 1968 and felt very inspired, so she decided to bring the tradition to VHS. The chalk festival has been an arts fundraiser ever since. I Madonnari still takes place in front of the Santa Barbara mission every Memorial Day weekend.

Lauren Minadeo, a VHS art teacher, said, “I’ve actually been doing the Santa Barbara chalk festival and I was an invited artist for around 15 years. This year I have a giant square and I am taking like 10 or 15 students with me and they’re going to be doing like seven squares so that’s a big deal. I picked ... students that are really good because it’s a big responsibility.”

Most of the students that participate in the chalk festival are in Art 2, 3 and AP Art. Minadeo said, “There’s always like a random art one [student] because some of the kids are really talented.”

The preparation for the chalk festival is a little more complex than most students assume. The chosen sketches are not done by the students, but rather