By Craig Wilson

Lately, we have been inundated with a barrage of reports of the souring economy, the escalating price of gas, budget cuts, waning foreign and domestic relations, the upcoming elections, the price of eggs or milk or bread or a cup of coffee …blah, blah, blah.

Enough already. Have you noticed that the daffodils and crocus have finally garnered the courage to emerge from the hard winter that we all endured, amidst record snowfalls, ice storms, fallen branches and flooded basements? Have you noticed that the neighborhood children are also emerging with ball gloves, soccer balls, and giggles?

It’s nearly impossible to describe this time of year without sounding like a cheap greeting card filled with cliché’s—but it’s all true. The birds are chirping, the trees are budding, and neighbors are seeing each other for the first time in nearly five months. We made it. Just like those flowers that lay dormant though much of year, it is our turn to emerge.

I was hired as the Parks and Recreation Director nearly three years ago for the City of Mount Vernon. My duties include oversight of many sports programs. Like so many towns throughout Iowa, for many people a town’s identity is based upon athletic programs. So often, we see banners or signs, welcoming guests to our towns, while boasting of six conference football titles, three district volleyball tiles, two state cross country victories, and a partridge in a pear tree.

But if one looks a bit closer, we see that our communities are rallying behind events that also give us an identity. It may be an Italian heritage festival, or Maifest, or a celebration of corn or morels, but they all exude an identity for the community. One of the conditions of my employment with Mount Vernon was to expand and develop enrichments in our community. I’m not so sure those that interviewed me, nor I for that matter, had any idea what lay ahead.

Mount Vernon is fortunate to have a thriving arts community. There are countless artists, painters, sculptors, photographers, storytellers, strong community theaters, and numerous musicians. Truthfully, not unlike many communities in Iowa, but with the support of the city council I was allowed to reinvent a way to capitalize on these wonderful assets.

Chalk the Walk has been the venue to cull many of the talents of my neighbors, not only from Mount Vernon but much of the Corridor. Nearly 50 artists of all abilities use asphalt as the canvas, and over a half-ton of chalk as the medium, to transform Uptown Mount Vernon into a color-splashed, temporary gallery. In addition, we have over two hundred artists, and those that do not consider themselves to be artists, joining in to create a giant two thousand square foot recreation of a famous artwork. Anyone can join in and help in the spectacle.

The goal has always been to build community and enrich our lives. It’s not unusual to see a professional artist rubbing elbows, literally, with a child, working for a common goal—to create art. Sure, Mount Vernon has signs welcoming visitors to town while listing athletic accolades, but as with all our communities, we have other attributes, the talented people that make each town unique and special.

I am inviting you to be part of our community for Chalk the Walk, May 3^rd and 4^th. Its spring! It’s time to take a break from all the dismal news that surrounds us and listen to a little music, a storyteller or two, and don’t be afraid to get a little chalk on your hands along with all the other artists.

Craig Wilson is the director of the Mount Vernon Parks and Recreation Department.