RCCF Announces Winners of Chalktoberfest – Eagle Country 99.3

The theme of this year’s edition was interactive murals, and eight students participated.

Michael Moffitt took first place in the high school division with his interactive mural of the Yellow Brick Road from The Wizard of Oz. Photo provided.

(Ripley County, Ind.) – Ripley County Community Foundation, Inc. (RCCF), through its Ripley Youth Outreach Program, recently hosted its 5th annual Chalktoberfest at Osgood’s Bricktoberfest, bringing art and community together. Chalktoberfest is a chalk art competition in which local high school and middle school students design murals based on a given theme, providing young artists with a unique opportunity to showcase their talents in a public setting.

Promoting the arts among young people fosters creativity and critical thinking skills, creates a platform for self-fulfilment and exploration, helps young people discover their passions and build self-confidence, and contributes to strengthening the sense of community, uniting people through sharing experiences.

This year’s theme, Interactive Murals, featured eight student participants, three high school students and five high school students, who transformed the street into captivating works of chalk art. The young artists were joined by four professional artists who provided guidance throughout the competition. Interestingly, two of these professionals, Megan Bauer and Rory Heffelmire, were previous Chalktoberfest participants, returning as alumni to inspire the next generation. Local educators, Heather Reichert and Dustin Smith, also brought their experience to the event as professional artists.

A seven-person panel of judges, comprised of local artists, members of Ripley Youth Outreach and other community leaders, had the difficult task of selecting the Chalktoberfest winners. Ripley Youth Outreach, a youth-led philanthropic group of RCCF, initiated the event and presented awards to the top three winners in the high school and middle school categories.

In the secondary school category, the winners were:

In the secondary school category, the winners were:

“We are thrilled to see Chalktoberfest grow each year,” said Amy Streator, executive director of the Ripley County Community Foundation. “Combining the event with Bricktoberfest allowed for greater community engagement, and the interactive mural added an extra element of fun by inviting festival goers to participate in the art.”

Chalktoberfest was brought to Ripley County by Ripley Youth Outreach to provide a platform for young artists to showcase their artistic talents. Expanding arts and culture locally to create a more vibrant, sustainable future is one of the primary service areas of the Ripley County Community Foundation.

Chalktoberfest is another way the Ripley County Community Foundation connects people who care with important causes. The chalk contest will return in fall 2025!

To learn how you can support arts and culture in your community, please contact the Ripley County Community Foundation at 13 E. George Street, Suite B, Batesville, IN. You can reach them by phone at (812) 933-1098 or by email at [email protected].