By Caitlin Alexander
February 11, 2026
It is believed that chalk street art originally started in the streets of Europe during the 16th century. Italy was said to be the hub of these madonarri (street artists), as they would travel from festival to festival, drawing religious icons using chalk, coal, and tile. These painters later appeared in London in the 1800s, and developed the nickname of “screevers,” which later became popularized by the character Bert in the film Mary Poppins.
When I was about five years old, my father would pick up my sister Ainslee and I at 12:30 from our half day at kindergarten. My mom was working tirelessly at her job to provide for us while my father would sometimes pick up construction jobs here and there, restoring window wells or building fences. However, most days after school consisted of my father playing solitaire on the computer while Ainslee (who has special needs) and I were forced to fend for ourselves. In the hours we would wait for our mom to come home, about 20 minutes was dedicated to harmoniously sharing lunch out of the cat bowl together, while the rest of the day, we politely avoided each other.
Despite our obvious differences, Ainslee and I had very conflicting personalities when it came to playtime as well. Ainslee liked staying inside on a summer day, quietly watching TV or eloquently playing with her dolls. On the other hand, I spent my time with the hose, violently drowning the ants in our backyard and languishing in the mud I would create out of the bare holes our dog would dig in her spare time.
One day on our way home, my dad stopped at Walmart, where we snagged a box of sidewalk chalk. The possibilities were endless. My boredom was saved by making “potions” out of chalk dust and water, wetting chalk on my hands, and putting handprints all across my back patio, drawing monsters, flowers, fairies, and the occasional hopscotch game.
Even to this day, I still have a box of chalk sitting in my house. Unlike the ones from my childhood, the chalk sticks have been barely used, and have acquired a good layer of dust. Chalk was my first introduction to independence and creativity, and it allowed me to express myself in the many boring hours I spent outside alone in the summer.
In 1972, the International Street Painting Festival in Grazie di Curtatone in Northern Italy was born, and finally brought attention to the individuals who keep this art form alive in the streets today. It’s weird to think now in adulthood that chalk art is considered to be art rather than a kindergartener’s favorite pastime. And there’s also a beauty in chalk art since it’s never meant to be permanent. Although the handprints I first laid on my back patio are no longer there, the memory of making that will forever mark a monumental part of my childhood, and now other bored five-year-olds can have the same opportunity. With that, I give sidewalk chalk a 10/10.