Consolidated High School District 230 Sandburg High School once again kicks off Art-ober with Chalkfest, a large chalk mural that all students from all art classes contribute to in some way.

Guest artist Adam Fabianski joined the Eagle student artists for the 10th year to design, layout and help refine the artwork. Fabianski is a professional artist and the son of retired Sandburg Coach Fabianski.

All afternoon, discussions centered on negative space, shadows and blending as students from every art class made a large grid of the illustration and colored the design with sidewalk chalk, working in small sections of this gigantic work. The 16’ x 37’ chalk mural covers the north parking lot sidewalk and will last until the first rain.

Art teacher Gordon Engelhard, along with now-retired art teacher Mary Michaelson, came up with this day-long idea one decade ago. Art teachers Dan McCabe and Wes Gonzalez also assisted with the project. Past illustrations have ranged from the Avengers, Finding Dory, Monsters, Inc. and Spiderman. The morning is dedicated to layout, followed by the bulk of the work completed mid-day, and the afternoon is spent finishing and refining. 

Engelhard said, “The mural is a unique experience, one students remember. I hope each of them takes away a sense of pride having participated in a big, communal celebration of art.”

Senior and Painting class student Eleni Manolis said, “I don’t have a lot of experience with chalk and didn’t realize how detailed you can get. It’s fun to work on it and to see my classmates' talent take shape.”

Fellow Painting classmate and senior Dean Bruton is taking his first art class and is excited to be a part of the mural. He said, “I’ve always thought the murals were cool and can appreciate the planning and artistry that goes into it. I’m a bit of an outsider to the art world here at Sandburg but have a lot of appreciation for the talent.”