This is one of two installments featured informing the students body on the happenings at The Big Fresno Fair. This features the Fresno Fair art created by students, specializing in the annual chalk art contest as well as the junior exhibit. The next installment will review one of the many concerts featured in the previous segment via podcast.

Art students traveled from all parts of the valley to participate in the annual chalk art competition at 8 o’clock in the morning on Oct. 9. This year, 21 schools showed up to put their skills to the test in a pressurized environment and also to represent their schools, displaying their art to the rest of the community.

This year art teacher Sharon Scharf brought three girls, including Sally Rudolfs, ’18, Amber Wilson, ’17, and Cayla Rivas, ’18, who worked as a group to paint their chalk art. At the beginning of the day, the underclassmen classmen were biased for their chances of placing in the event, yet were unprepared for their end results.

Scharf has been bringing students to this competition for the last 20 years and welcomes the opportunity for her students to experience the event.

“It is important for us to come to represent our school and get our name out there,” Scharf said. “Along with a good advertisement for FC it blesses the community who come to the fair; showing what kids can do nowadays. Yet the main reason for my coming to this event is for my students. They are working under a stressful situation in which they have a certain amount of time to finish there drawing.”

I can’t believe we won! At the beginning of the day, I was not very hopeful with our chances, yet look where we ended up! With this win, maybe we might be able to pull off the win once again next year. Along with the win, it was nice to see that all of our work finally paid off after years of FC losing. — Cayla Rivas, ’17.

Wilson was thankful for the chance to make it to the fair and participate in this annual event in which FC has been a part of ever since its creation.

“I think this is a great experience and will help all three of us to become better art students overall,” Wilson said. “By the end of this I hope we are capable of finishing our piece in time and will be proud of what we have accomplished. It?s been great to work as a team because we all have different skills and it makes it a little easier to be able to rely on our teammates.”

Similar to Scharf, art advisor Tony Sharp from Sierra High School brought his students to the fair for a new experience and to show them the world of art.

“Art students need to be exposed to the world of art,” Sharp said. “During each of the nine years that I have come, my goal for my students is to have fun, have the satisfaction of completing an artwork in a short amount of time, and to enjoy the competition. We have not won for the past five years, and I hope we manage to pull off another win this year.”

Sierra high school student Daeja Bonette came to this event in order to get out of school and just because she liked art.

“Unlike my teacher, I mostly came just because I like to draw,” Bonette said. “I wanted to get out of school first of all, and along with that I just enjoy having the chance to draw with chalk. Yet I wouldn?t miss this for the world because of my partner who would have been left to do the project by herself. I can?t wait to do this again next year and maybe win!”

After all of the drawings were finished, the participants came back at two o?clock to see which teams would be awarded there trophies. To the Eagle’s surprise, FC art students received first place in the competition. The first time ever which the school has achieved an award in the chalk board competition.

Rivas was ecstatic with their placement and was already looking forward to next years competition.

“I can’t believe we won,” Rivas said. “At the beginning of the day, I was not very hopeful with our chances, yet look where we ended up! With this win, maybe we might be able to pull off the win once again next year. Along with the win, it was nice to see that all of our work finally paid off after years of FC losing.”

Editor’s Note: Along with winning the chalk art contest, several of Scharf’s students have entered into the junior exhibit contest. This year’s participants included: Sydney Belmont, ’17, Trevor Trevino, ’17, Michael Fu, ’16, Ryan King, ’15, Rudolfs and Rivas.

This writer can be reached via Twitter: @J0sh_Carter.

For more features, read the Oct. 7 article, National Engagement Day: Join the discussion.