> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # A temporary place in the world - URL: https://www.smdp.com/a-temporary-place-in-the-world/ - Published: 2007-04-05T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T00:22:44.000Z - Author: Melody Hanatani - Tags: Education, Sunset Park, #archive-import *Paving the way for chalk artists* SUNSET PARK Chalk is no longer just for kids. While many sports fanatics eagerly awaited the beginning of the baseball season, a UCLA graduate-turned-art student at the Art Institute of California is counting the days until the beginning of the pavement chalking art season with the same anticipation. The creator of 17 street chalk pieces over the past two years, 26-year-old Lesley Perdomo, an interactive Media Design student at the Art Institute of California, located on 31st Street, has spent the past six months waiting for the street painting season. The predominantly chalk medium has captured her heart since she was introduced to it through a friend and art partner in 2005. The chalk art season runs from May until November — when rainy days are less frequent. For many chalk artists in the Southland, the season will begin with The Fabulous Ninth Annual Street Painting Festival in Mission Viejo from May 19-20. An Art Institute graduate in 2006, JJ Jimenez learned about chalk art when he visited an art store and ran into his friend, who then showed him his portfolio containing pictures of the chalk drawings he had done. Encouraged, the San Fernando Valley resident called up his friend, Perdomo, and the two participated in their first chalk art event in 2005 — the seventh annual street painting festival in Mission Viejo. It was one of the most physically exhausting experiences for both Perdomo and Jimenez, as neither artist had adequately prepared for two whole days of sitting and kneeling on the ground to create a work of art that took them more than 10 hours to complete. Looking around, they saw other more seasoned chalk artists had brought with them a carpet to kneel on, and arm and knee pads. “I was proud of it,” Jimenez said of the final product.“It’s my first piece and, of course, we all say that we wish we could’ve done better,”he said.“I expected more out of myself because of (my background) in drawing. At that time, I had eight years of practice drawing.” For Perdomo, the best part about the chalk festivals is being part of the chalk art subculture, meeting new artists and catching up with the same artists she’s already met at other festivals while working in her 12 feet-by-12 feet square. The two say the skills they learned in the Santa Monica classroom has helped them succeed in chalk art, completing more than 30 works between the two of them over the past two years. The school does not offer any courses specifically on chalk art. “It’s like writing poetry,” said Vi Ly, dean of Academic Affairs at the Art Institute.“You take what you learned about grammar and apply it to a piece of paper.” Though the art form is slowly gaining popularity from the sidewalk art festivals in Southern California, the medium still maintains a bohemian cultural following. Part of the reason why chalk art does not have the same level of recognition as other forms is because of the perception that chalk is for child’s play, Ly said. Chalk art has a history dating back to the 16th Century, when so-called “Madonna painters” in Italy recreated Madonna in chalk for religious festivals. Jimenez and Perdomo worked together on chalk pieces all throughout the 2005 season. By the time the 2006 season had started, both felt comfortable enough in their abilities to branch out on their own. They each have participated in more than 10 festivals, taking about nine hours to complete a project. Both Jimenez and Perdomo have won awards for their chalk work. As fun as chalk art is, Perdomo does not plan on making a career out of the medium. After she graduates in 2008, the Inglewood resident plans to either sell her own art or work in a gallery. In order to avoid living the life of a starving artist, Jimenez has been selling clothing with images replicating chalk artwork he has completed. The aspiring fashion designer wants to release his own clothing line and, eventually, plates and other everyday items. “I’ve tried to sell paintings and original artwork and it’s very hard to sell,” he said. “This way, I can express my own art, sell it, and live off it.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/040507-01_01.jpg) (Photo: Photo courtesy) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/040507-01_02.jpg) (Photo: Photo courtesy) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/040507-01_03.jpg) of The Art Institute of California — LA DIVING IN: A JJ Jimenez and Lesley Perdomo work takes shape. (Photo: Photo courtesy) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 5, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/040507.pdf?ref=smdp.com)