The Star News (Summer 2005)

Monticello artist will create chalk art at ArtSoup

by Britt Aamodt

Part of Monticello artist Parker McDonald’s success derives from his ability to trick the eye with murals so real, so life-size, a person might just walk into one.

His murals—jungles, Tuscan hillsides, underwater scenes—enliven doctor’s offices, restaurants, and private residences throughout Minnesota and Colorado, his native state. A tableau of McDonald’s work runs along the interior of the Monticello Community Center, and when members take a dip, that’s McDonald’s painting they see on the bottom of the pool.

Soon, Elk River will have its very own McDonald work of art. But it won’t last.

McDonald will be spending Father’s Day weekend, June 18-19, at the ArtSoup Community Arts Festival on his hands and knees, up to his armpits in chalk dust.

The ArtSoup festival committee has asked McDonald to turn the sidewalk outside of Handke School into a work of chalk art.

“This is the first time I’ve worked with chalk,” said the artist, who plans to use the better part of both days creating his sidewalk masterpiece.

Though eventually rain and foot traffic will erase his hard work, McDonald said he looks forward to the opportunity.
“I think working with chalk will be fun. People will be able to walk by and see me while I’m creating it,” he said.

Not only that, ArtSoup attendees will be encouraged to create their own chalk art.

“We’ll be providing chalk,” said Laurie Beil, executive director of the Elk River Area Arts Alliance, sponsoring organization of the festival. “We’ve set aside an area of sidewalk around Handke where everyone who wants to can create chalk art.”

After seeing samples of his work, Beil thought McDonald’s “illusionary 3D style” would be perfect for ArtSoup’s proposed chalk art activity.

“He had a photograph of a mural he’d painted in someone’s house—a room with a shelf and things on the shelf. But the whole thing was an illusion. I thought wouldn’t it be great if he could do something like that for ArtSoup.”

McDonald’s online gallery gives a sampling of the hundreds of murals, paintings and sculptures he has created over the years. In 1999, McDonald won the prestigious Minnesota Ducks Unlimited Print of the Year award for his painting of a pheasant.

Journalist

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