Chalk the Block 2022 Recap

RNeighbors, in partnership with the Southeastern Minnesota Poets, and City of Rochester organized the city-wide Chalk the Block Festival on July 24. The goal of this event was for citizens to connect across Rochester and express themselves through creating poetry and sidewalk chalk murals with the theme of Creating Memorable Connections. Although community event participation is tough to gauge, the feedback we received when handing out chalk was people are craving positive social connections.

• 1,500 Chalk bags were distributed across the community, that’s 7,500 individual chalk pieces.
• Three professional chalk artists were involved in the event and paired with three local poets to encourage deeper engagement and give chalk sites for community members to seek out. The conversations that each artist shared after the event were meaningful and reflected the community-building effect of the event.
• To meet the artists and see their work, check out the event video.
• Riverside Elementary had Chalk the Block be a “Otter Summer Activity”.
• In the month of July RNeighbors’ Facebook posts reached 4,090 with 667 posts.

Distribution Points

• Safe City Nights
• Thursdays Downtown
• Historic Homestead Neighborhood
• Slatterly Park Neighborhood
• Hart Farms Neighborhood
• Meadow Park Initiative
• Wright Road SW
• Family Services Rochester
• Rochester Art Center
• Bolder Options
• Boys and Girls Club
• 2 City Buildings

Event Partners

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