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City looking for participants in the first ever Lake Superior Stormwater Chalk Fest

[Duluth, MN] The City of Duluth, through a grant through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources through Minnesota's Lake Superior Coastal Program, is hosting the Lake Superior Stormwater Chalk Fest the week of September 26 – October 2.

"We saw other communities have hosted chalk fests – Prior Lake, Maple Grove, Eau Claire- and we thought it would be fun to host one that draws attention to our Lake," Sustainability Officer Mindy Granley said. "We hope a week of events will combine art, fun, and learning. This is a great way to call attention to how Lake Superior is warming faster than land from climate change."

The Chalk Fest is a week-long event meant to literally "draw" attention to how we as a community impact local waterways. Everyone in Duluth is connected to Lake Superior. Our roads, sidewalks, parking lots, and yards all drain to local streams and ultimately to the lake, yet we often don't see or think of these connections. As a result, many of our waterways are polluted due to human activities.

To that extent, the City of Duluth is looking for organizations, schools, and community members to participate in Chalk Fest by drawing an image or writing a phrase that shows the publics' relationship or connection to our local streams and Lake Superior. This could include: How to protect our local streams and Lake Superior

• What you appreciate about our streams or Lake Superior
• Your vision for a healthier and more sustainable future for our water
• Anything else our local waterways inspire within you!

Examples of taglines participants may choose to include:

• Clean Stormwater is Superior Water
• What’s in the street goes to our creeks
• There is no Poop Fairy
• You are the solution to stormwater pollution

Interested groups are asked to sign up by completing the following form by September 22 https://forms.gle/1RA5vCXKwXryUEt69. City staff will then reach out to provide high pigment chalk, give logistics on the event, and schedule a time for a photographer to stop by and take a picture of the artwork. Groups can choose the day(s) they would like to participate in and where they would like their drawings to be located.

"It is our hope that the artwork will take place all across Duluth and reach a large range of people," Granley said. "This is a critical connection that each of us has with local waterways. This is an opportunity to celebrate the area's diverse cultural backgrounds and artistic styles while showing the importance of community responsibility."

Attached are examples of chalk fest art from the Eau Claire, Wisconsin Chalk Fest.

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