During SCAD’s Sidewalk Arts Festival, students come together in the streets of Savannah to decorate sidewalk squares. Students claim a square before the event, plan their design and make it come to life with chalk. The event brightens the streets of Savannah and engages students with the community.
Students and Savannah civilians were greeted with bright sidewalks covered in creative and elaborate designs. On the streets, students and alumni waved to passersby with powdery blue and yellow hands. On the event stage, the SCAD Honeybees performed songs for the whole community to enjoy while admiring the sidewalk art.
Photo courtesy of Aaron Williams. 
Photo courtesy of Aaron Williams. 
Photo courtesy of Aaron Williams. 
Photo courtesy of Aaron Williams. 
Photo courtesy of Aaron Williams. 
Photo courtesy of Aaron Williams. 
Photo courtesy of Aaron Williams. 
Photo courtesy of Aaron Williams. 
Photo courtesy of Aaron Williams. 
Photo courtesy of Aaron Williams. 
Photo courtesy of Aaron Williams. 
Photo courtesy of Aaron Williams. 
Photo courtesy of Aaron Williams. 
Photo courtesy of Aaron Williams. 
Photo courtesy of Aaron Williams. 
Photo courtesy of Aaron Williams. 
Photo courtesy of Aaron Williams. 
Photo courtesy of Aaron Williams. 
Photo courtesy of Aaron Williams. 
Photo courtesy of Aaron Williams.
Students had free rein on what they could create for the Sidewalk Arts Festival but the awards and prizes might have influenced some participants. There are several awards with high stake prizes. The awards include “SCAD Peace Award,” “SCAD Love Award,” “SCAD Homage Award,” “SCAD Student Spirit Award” and “SCAD Alumni Spirit Award,” all of which reward the winning squares $3000. SCAD Connector spoke to a few participants about their experience at the festival.
Teegan Chester was among one of the many SCAD Savannah students who participated. Teegan is a third-year student pursuing a degree in graphic design and a minor in motion media. He participated solo, creating a character on top of a bright rainbow background. “I mainly chose this because it represents my style of work and also represents LGBT+ with the rainbow in the background” he said.
Another SCAD Savannah student, Morgan Epps, participated with a group of friends to create their piece. “The atmosphere was so fun and welcoming. I loved seeing everyone’s art along the sidewalk,” they said. Morgan and their friends created a piece that represented their friendship. “We chose to do this piece because each time we get together, Josh creates a charcuterie board as a way to bring us together through food.”
Emma Peterson created a piece combining some of her favorite artists: Van Gogh and Michelangelo. She combined a close-up drawing of Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam” with the swirling background in Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” Emma also commented on the environment saying “It was a super fun atmosphere; families, dogs, good music.”
The Sidewalk Festival in Savannah has become a tradition that holds strong today and will for years to come. It seems each year students get more advanced and creative in their designs. SCAD Sidewalk Arts Festival photos can be viewed on Instagram with #SCADchalk. The winners in categories from this year and years before can be seen here.
