With everyone being stuck inside the past few months, it has been hard to limit social interactions. There have been endless FaceTimes, Zoom parties and even a little rule-breaking, but not being around loved ones every day can be tough. To help fill this void and bring the community together while social distancing, the Vienna Arts Society kicked off June with its inaugural Chalk the Walk event.
While the project was initially created as a year-long celebration of kindness, COVID-19 quickly changed it. The original plan, titled the Art of Kindness, was to collect art and stories of kindness through community drop-off boxes for a final showcase in October.
Lu Cousins, director of the Vienna Arts Society, explains, “As the last box was completed, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and we had to cancel all those plans and pivot to something we were able to do in this very difficult time.”
The Vienna Arts Society put a call out to the community to fill their driveways and sidewalks full of art as a part of the project. From animals and cartoon drawings to lyrics and messages of support, the community shared their creativity and brought smiles to their neighbors throughout the month.
Here are some of the submissions from around the community.
While you are anxiously waiting for the next season of Rick and Morty, this amazing drawing of beloved Rick Sanchez can help fill the void.
A drawing of solidarity was seen outside the Vienna Community Center as Black Lives Matter protests were held throughout the country.
Artist MaryBeth Davis decided to skip the sidewalk art and go straight to the wall with this love-inspired piece.
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The staff of the Vienna Arts Society even got in on the fun, creating a chalk obstacle course for people to add some fun to their daily walks.
Sometimes a simple rose is enough to bring out a smile from your neighbor.
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Nothing spreads kindness quite like The Beatles. Take a note from the pop group and add some love and kindness to your day.
The Art of Kindness project will continue in July with a community project to repurpose candidate yard signs into messages to honor essential and front-line workers who are helping the community get through the pandemic. For more details, click here.
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