Employee Appreciation Event Artist

These chalk drawings were created over two days at Rhodes Stadium at Elon University for an employee appreciation event. Elon’s 2021 Staff Appreciation Day was held outdoors in the stadium and included food, music, games, and prizes, creating a festive setting for temporary public art.

I teamed up with two other artists for the event, including a fellow mural and chalk artist who hired me to crew with her. On the first day, I created a large phoenix inspired by Elon’s symbolism of renewal, light, and knowledge, along with other fun, summery motifs that matched the upbeat energy of the day. Because Elon ties the Phoenix to the university’s recovery after the 1923 fire, it felt like a fitting image for the campus setting.

I also created colorful barefoot footprints that began near the entrance and continued through the event space, weaving through the activity stations in a playful, uplifting way. In the back area, the footprints split in two directions to form a heart around the stations—an unexpected gesture that sparked delighted reactions, smiles, and laughter from the crowd.

Chalk was also left out for employees to join in the fun themselves, and many of them took to it like kids in a candy store. It was fun to witness that playful enthusiasm unfold alongside the commissioned work.

Title: Employee Appreciation Event Artist
Site/City:  Rhodes Stadium, Elon University, Burlington, NC. 
Medium: Chalk.
Date: May 27, 2021 - May 28, 2021.