Creative during quarantine: Sidewalk chalk around the Great Lakes Bay Region

Howling wind and scattered snow still fill the air as we near the end of April, but neither the COVID-19 virus nor the unseasonably cold weather have halted the creativity of sidewalk artists in the region.

On your next walk around the block, look down and you’re sure to spot some of the colorful chalk drawings blooming all over the sidewalks and driveways of the Great Lakes Bay Region.

You’re guaranteed to see classic hopscotch games and cute drawings by kids scratched onto the sidewalks. Walk a little farther, though, and you’re likely to see drawings conveying messages of hope and encouragement. Much of the art is surprisingly vivid and beautiful.

Bay City’s Studio 23/The Arts Center capitalized on the sidewalk chalk trend by inviting people to submit work (created between April 13 and 19) to an Online Chalk Art Competition. Artists from throughout the region created nature scenes, abstract art, and more to submit to the contest via social media. To see the entries specific to the contest, check out the hashtags #bcchalkwalk and @bcchalkwalk

We asked readers in the region to submit their chalk art so everyone could enjoy it. Here’s what we got back from some of our neighbors.

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