Did you know Palisade High School has the best chalk artists in town? According to Colorado Mesa University’s Art and Design Department, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Senior artists victored the annual chalk art competition at this year’s Artober Fest.
Artober is a special event held by university students, professors, and clubs all participating in art based majors. On October 16th, several art classes from Palisade High School, Grand Junction High School, and Montrose High School gathered on the Delta Field to engage in an ecstatic day full of different artistic mediums and communities.
To be fully immersed in all Artober had to offer, each student was given a punchcard. This acted as a ticket essentially to discover different possibilities of art programs at CMU. First, Designers at Mesa (DAM) provided colorful spray paint and encouraged students to create wacky, huge, and experimental imagery on a giant graffiti wall. Palisade students flocked towards the 7 foot tall plastic wrap to spray rockstar cats, a Coraline inspired abyss of swirls, and even their own tags. DAM then punched each student’s ticket and they were off to the Printmaking Guild. This booth was centered around woodcuts with live demonstrations. There were t-shirts for sale, pre-printed, or students could choose different designs made by members of the Printmaking Guild. Senior Elizabeth Fleming purchased a t-shirt illustrated with a seagull. Fleming comments, “The prints were bigger than any other prints I’ve seen before. I especially liked the detail they all had. I don’t feel like printmaking is a super popular form of art so it was cool to see a bunch of people interested in it.”
The final interactive booth was the Animation, Motion, and Photography (AMP) club who offered live caricatures, singles or doubles with a friend. This allowed attendants to take home a special piece of Artober, a CMU student’s artwork, and also fund the AMP’s access to new class materials. Aside from these main booths, students enjoyed button making and most notably, the Sidewalk Chalk Contest.
Last year, the Palisade’s Class of 2026 did not place for their fantastic, chalk array of sea creatures. Frustrated conversations and artistic passion undoubtedly fueled the Bulldogs’ determination to victory in this year’s contest. The IB art Seniors came into the competition with a plan; to cover the entire allotted square with gradients and designs while maintaining a strong focal point to capture the judge’s eyes. The Seniors collaborated productively despite the morning breeze and numb hands. After two consecutive hours of drawing, their square depicted a giant moth drawn by Senior Ian Shiao and a carefully crafted mosaic of blended swirls, organic arches, and bright flowers.
The judges recognized the intention behind the Seniors’ craft considering its expansive designs and complimentary color selections. Each Bulldog rejoiced and celebrated their well deserved win with high fives and lunch on campus at Chick-fil-A.
To conclude Artober, the Sculpture Guild casted sculptures in molten iron during the annual Iron Pour. They began pouring at 10 a.m. and didn’t stop until all the molds were filled. Iron pouring is a special opportunity for Palisade artists to experience, considering its foreignness to the IB Art curriculum. This visual demonstration appealed to the IB Juniors especially Junior Beckett Carlton. Carlton explains, “It was cool that they put it out in the middle of the field. I’ve seen an iron pour before but not at CMU. Seeing the process of it was interesting and very ‘woah!’”
Artober never fails to incorporate every medium imaginable, making the day unforgettable for aspiring artists. Each booth bounced off innovative energy and positivity, encouraging students to explore their creativity.
