RCCF Announces Chalktoberfest Winners

This year’s theme challenged each student artist to draw a 4’ x 3’ mural of their favorite book cover.

Megan Bauer 1st Place High School Division Photo Provided.

(Ripley County, Ind.) - The Ripley County Community Foundation, Inc. (RCCF), through its Ripley Youth Outreach Program, hosted the 3rd annual Chalktoberfest on October 8th. Chalktoberfest is a competitive chalk art contest for students in 6th through 12th grades. The contest had 13 participants from five different area high schools and two different middle schools who competed for cash prizes. This year’s theme challenged each student artist to draw a 4’ x 3’ mural of their favorite book cover. Each of the talented student artists had three hours to complete their chalk mural. Student artists were judged on the use of materials, originality and creativity, execution of theme, and overall design.

During the competition local musician, Matthew Lamping, performed for spectators. Ripley Youth Outreach also welcomed two local amateur artists to create their own murals during the event. Rory Heffelmire, an artist from Versailles, created a mural based upon a “Wonder Woman” comic. Dustin Smith, an art teacher at Greensburg High School, created a mural inspired by “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”.

Art is an expression of feelings, creativity, and self-expression which entertains or inspires the admirer in a way that influences how we relate to each other. Ripley Youth Outreach brought Chalktoberfest to Ripley County in an attempt to expand the opportunities available for teenagers to showcase their artistic talents and give weight to their social viewpoint.

“Ripley Youth Outreach is one way that the Ripley County Community Foundation is able to give local youth a voice within their communities and the power to create the positive change they want to see,” stated Amy Streator, Executive Director of the Ripley County Community Foundation. Streator further noted, “The RCCF Board of Directors believes that it is important to foster a positive opinion of Ripley County within our young people so that they will stay invested in Ripley County into adulthood. This long-term investment by young people will help keep our communities vibrant and relevant for the foreseeable future.”

The 2022 Chalktoberfest winners in the high school division were: Megan Bauer coming in 1st place with her rendition of “The Trials of Apollo” by Rick Riordan, Anna Herzog coming in 2nd place with her book cover based on “The Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller, and 3rd place went to Grace Pettit with her “IT” book cover by Stephen King. The winners in the middle school division were: 1st place to Billy Cox with his “Who Was Albert Einstein?” by Jess Brallier inspired mural, 2nd place to Leigh Walmsley with Lucy Christopher’s “Storm Wake” book cover, and 3rd place to Bella Weberding with her book cover inspired by “The Sum of All Things” written by Nicole Brooks.

Chalktoberfest is just one more way the Ripley County Community Foundation is Connecting People Who Care with Causes that Matter. The chalk contest will return in the fall of 2023!

To learn how you can support Arts & Culture opportunities in your communities, contact the Ripley County Community Foundation, which is located at 13 E. George Street, Suite B, Batesville, IN, can be reached by phone at (812) 933-1098 or via email at office@rccfonline.org.