The sidewalks downtown Crown Point are set to receive a new look ahead of the summer.
From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. this Saturday, May 20, artists will create 3-D, interactive art pieces on the sidewalk surrounding the Historic Lake County Courthouse for the inaugural Crown Point Chalk Walk.
Tom Liubakka, owner of Crown Point-based Liubakka Studio, recently approached the City to host the event after visiting Minneapolis, Minnesota, last fall.
“Around the heavily traveled areas, artists came in and did 3-D chalk drawings and sealed them for the summer. They were interactive, so people could take pictures with them,” Liubakka said. “It was just a unique way for people to spend time in the city, and I wanted to bring it to Crown Point.”
There will be eight large images and six small images created by Liubakka, 13 artists and 28 of Liubakka’s art students. Liubakka is a professional artist who trained at the Professional Institute of Commercial Art in Baltimore, Maryland, along with private lessons and classes at the Tribeca Flash Point Academy in Chicago. He has been teaching art since 1980.
The artwork will be sketched out Friday, May 19, with artists bringing the work to life on Saturday, May 20. The artwork will be sealed on Sunday, May 21, so residents and visitors can enjoy the artwork all summer.
“The Chalk Walk is a great way for our community to enjoy art in the heart of downtown,” Crown Point Mayor Pete Land said. “We are glad Tom approached us with this great idea and cannot wait to see the end result.”
Once the artwork is complete, the City hopes to see people share their interactive photos by using the hashtag #cpchalkwalk2023.
