On September 9, the streets of downtown Colorado were made a little more colorful, as the Coronado Art Club showed off their flare for chalk at the annual What If Festival. Stunning sunflowers and soap bubbles embellished the sidewalk as the product of hours of arduous effort from art club members, supervised by Wendy Foos. Their hard work resulted in a superb outcome. “My entire body ached after six hours, but it was absolutely worth it,” said Victoria van Tuil, 12, one of the team’s chalk artists. “It is so interesting to see the other art and your own product, even if it’s hard on your body.”

Held at The Pikes Peak Center and the Plaza of the Rockies, the What If Festival aimed to celebrate innovation, creation, and the enterprising attitude of the Pikes Peak Region’s scientists, artists and entrepreneurs.  Among the estimated 25,000 participants were live musicians, artisan vendors, the Coronado Robotic Team, and artists from every walk of life.  The Art Club became involved in order to showcase their skills and appreciation for the arts. The team started preparing their work around 9 in the morning, and throughout the day they fought against threats of rain, time constraints, and a shortage of yellow chalk. Yet they made due, crafting their creation with paintbrushes, their own fingertips, and plenty of support from admirers. “Little kids encouraged us as they were walking past,” Victoria recalls.

The dedication and optimism paid off- the club was awarded fourth place for their excellent work. They discovered their ranking a few days after rain had washed their design away, but it only served to prove that their art had left a lasting impression among the community. “There’s a lot more to that festival than just chalk,” said Victoria. The What If Festival offers a unique blend of engineering, science, technology, art, performance art and culinary masterpieces that Victoria says she will not pass up. “It was such an experience, and I know I’ll be going back next year!”