#ChalkFIT 2018: the future on our walls

FIT Illustration students painting their #chalkfit panels
One section of the 7th Avenue #ChalkFIT wall nears completion

Hi, everyone!

Last week one of my favorite annual events went up on 7th Avenue: ChalkFIT. The walls of the Pomerantz (aka D) building have been divided up by the students in the FIT BFA Illustration program and each one got a panel to sketch. This year there’s a new twist: each panel has an augmented reality component.

 

FIT Illustration students' #ChalkFIT projects
Busy workday with lots of students polishing their #ChalkFIT panels on 7th Avenue

This year the theme is “The Future is…the Human Experience”. Each panel has accompanying videos which were then uploaded into Arilyn (an augmented reality software) by the professor. Download the app to your phone and then point it at the artworks to see the extra feature.

The Arilyn augmented reality app

FIT Illustration students working on #ChalkFIT
Students hard at work on the 28th street side of the Pomerantz Building

 

 

This year’s students were especially efficient. The project began the first week of October and the students had mostly finished up their panels by Monday, October 15th.

 

 

 

ChalkFIT finished panels on 28th st
28th street panels finished

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the Illustration students has worked in the library’s Periodicals and Electronic Resources Department for several years. I watched Enza Indelicato working on her project several days.

FIT Illustration student painting #ChalkFIT project
Enza has her back to the street as she begins to lay down the colors for her panel.

Enza’s panel is on the corner of 7th Avenue nearest the 28th street side. It looks a little like her. I love how the drones above her look like flowers too.

FIT Illustration students working on their #ChalkFIT panels
Enza steps back to look at her classmates’ work

I have pictures of the finished work, but I find the ones where the students are working side by side, supporting each other while also getting their work done, to be the most interesting. Finished artwork takes time and persistence.

FIT Illustration students starting their #ChalkFIT projects
An early #ChalkFIT work day where everyone is out putting transferring their images to the walls
FIT Illustration students at work on #ChalkFIT
That awful sense of working hard when everyone else is finished

 

 

 

FIT students are both creative and driven. Usually, it’s tough to see this unless you’re in the classroom with them. But this is one project where you can watch the work they’ve put in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Working on 7th Avenue turns out to be a social event in itself. Lots of passers by stopped to talk to the students.

Passer by chatting with FIT student about his #ChalkFIT work.
Passer by chatting with FIT student about his work.

 

ChalkFIT Student at work on partially hidden section of 7th avenue walls
Student at work on partially hidden section of 7th Avenue walls

 

 

 

These two panels are in a shaded corner of the 7th Avenue face, past the Pomerantz lobby:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Facing up 7th Avenue on one of the busy afternoons near the beginning of the project:

Facing up 7th Avenue while ChalkFIT students work
7th Avenue sidewalks are busy during the day, when most of the students worked on their panels
Enza Delicato with finished #ChalkFIT panel
Enza Delicato with finished #ChalkFIT panel

 

 

 

 

I hope each of the students took the time to get good photos of themselves with their work. This is Enza, showing off her finished panel.

 

#ChalkFIT panel finished
Finished!

Be sure to check out the AR components of this row of fabulous FIT artwork!

 

 

 


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