Howard Street in Rogers Park turns into a chalk art canvas with 3D optical illusions

On Saturday afternoon, two gaping holes were spotted in Rogers Park.

A colorful alien with bug eyes and antennae emerged from the crater on Howard Street.

A few steps away, people skipped across pieces of concrete scattered over a portal into space. If you looked into the void, you could see a view of the Bean sitting atop of planet Earth.

As it turns out, it was all an illusion.

As part of the annual Chalk Howard Street, artists from Chicago and throughout the U.S. created 3D works from chalk art. Their designs decorated the portion of Howard Street between Paulina Street and Ashland Avenue. And there were some 2D images, featuring everything from a humorous portrait of Bart Simpson to a vivid rendering of the Chicago Cubs logo.

The free, family-friendly event, which started in 2019, typically draws a couple thousand attendees to the neighborhood. When they weren't engaging with the art, people enjoyed musical performances and browsed vendors offering food and handmade items.

Artists, residents and event organizers championed the festival for bringing people together in a fun, creative way.

“When I’m at other festivals, a lot of times the community spaces are contrived,” said Atlanta-based artist Zachary Herndon, 40, who created the 3D view of Earth. “But these are real streets that really get used. And the people that are here came on the train. They’re local. Everybody is really polite. It’s just a really inviting space.”

Sandi Price, executive director of the Rogers Park Business Alliance, said the fest was inspired by similar chalk art events in other states.

“We think it brings the community together,” she said. “We don’t have enough free events."

Attendees were also able to purchase their own squares of the street to decorate as artists for the day.

“It’s inspirational for them to see [the other works] and then to grab a box of chalk," Price said.

Others, like Rogers Park resident Annette Thompson, were just content to snap photos.

“I wish they would have more stuff like this in the neighborhood, just to bring people together," said Thompson, who is 58. “I think it’s very creative. I especially like the ones that are 3D and look like you are stepping into it.”

Artist Holland Winslow, of Virginia, said she achieved the 3D effect with her alien through a complex grid system. She added handles on the head of the creature so that a person can appear to be riding it if they have their picture taken from about 6 feet away.

Chicago-area artists were among those providing the 2D art. Andrew Vickers, who goes by Andrew the Rose Artist, created a purple dinosaur in honor of Sue the T. rex at the Field Museum.

“I just love art, and I like interacting with the public," said Vickers, 34, of Uptown, who created the Chicago Chalk Art Group on Facebook. “I love the chalk art community as a whole.”

Vickers said one of the keys to creating a successful art piece is to blend the chalk with your hands as you go.

And "knee pads are always helpful," he added.

Naperville artist Asia, who declined to provide her last name, decided to use her chalk art piece to reference the war in Gaza. She created an image of Aaron Bushnell, a U.S. Air Force servicemember, who set himself on fire in an act of protest against the war. Asia's work also includes the words "Free Palestine," which Bushnell shouted before he died.

Last year at Chalk Howard Street, Asia created a work to honor Emmett Till.

“It’s me once again saying don’t forget the past because the past matters," she said.

Like Asia, many of the artists have participated for multiple years.

“I really do enjoy being here," Herndon said. "I do think this event is special. It feels like the community really appreciates it."