PROFILE
Chelsea Marie Ritter-Soronen (b. 1986, Columbus, Ohio) is a multi-disciplinary public artist, consultant and community arts organizer currently living in Washington, D.C. She works as an independent artist and is the owner and Principal Artist of Chalk Riot, LLC, an all-women mural production house that specializes in artwork on the ground.
EDUCATION
2008 BFA in Theatre Design (majors in costume design and scenic painting), Webster Conservatory of Theater Arts in St. Louis, MO.
2007 Minor in Eastern Studies (emphasis on religious jewelry and adornment), Webster University in Hua Hin, Thailand
PAINTED MURAL COMMISSIONS
*BOLD indicates a pavement mural completed with the team at Chalk Riot. All others are vertical walls.
2023 Shirley Lives Mural, Capitol Hill, Washington, DC. Private Residence.
See Something Say Something, Anacostia, Washington, DC. DC Department of Transportation
Weave and Flow, Downtown Silver Spring, MD. Peterson Properties
La Loma Unidad Mural, Puebla, Mexico. La Rueda Public Arts Program
2022 Donaldson Family Mural, Congress Heights, Washington, DC. Private Residence
Still Growing Mural, H Street, Washington, DC. The DC Commission on Arts and Humanities
Morning Time Mural, H Street, Washington, DC. The DC Commission on Arts and Humanities
Wheeler Road Pavement Mural Series, Congress Heights, Washington, DC. DC Dept. of Transportation in partnership with Pipkin Creative
Constance Laws Tribute Mural, Queens Chapel, MD. Private Residence
Electric Lazy River, Downtown Silver Spring, MD. Peterson Companies
Sunrise, Sunset Playroom Mural (interior), Potomac, MD. Private Residence
Native Flora of DC mural (interior), Washington, DC. Private Residence
2021 Shirley Horn Tribute Pavement Mural, Washington, DC. DC Dept. of Transportation
Spread Your Wings Mural, Petworth, Washington, DC. DC Dept. of Transportation
Alma Thomas Tribute Pavement Mural, Washington, DC. DC Dept. of Transportation
Private Residence, Mt. Rainier, MD. Armador Family
Energy Waves pavement mural, Downtown Silver Spring, MD. Peterson Companies
Private Residence, Adams Morgan, DC. Rao Family
Growing the Future Mural, Mount Pleasant, Washington, DC. Past Tense Yoga Studio
Cherry Blossom Car Parade, Washington, DC. National Cherry Blossom Festival
2020 Past Tense Yoga Studio, Mt. Pleasant, Washington, DC. Past Tense Yoga Studio
Succulent Sidewalk Mural, Washington, DC. The Parks curated by Pipkin Creative
Ripple Effect Pavement Mural, Southwest Waterfront, Washington, DC. Southwest Business Improvement District
Window Pandemic Mural, Alexandria, VA. Alexandria BID curated by Pipkin Creative
Little Library, Mt. Pleasant, Washington, DC. Past Tense Yoga Studio
Mellow Mushroom, Adams Morgan, Washington, DC. Mellow Mushroom
Private Residence, Adams Morgan, Washington, DC. Ronsaville Family
Un/Fold Fashion History Project, Adams Morgan, Washington, DC. Tribute Collective
Takoma Park Recreation Center, Takoma Park, MD. City of Takoma Park
2019 Alligator Kissing Booth, Napa, California, Napa County Fair
2018 “Aridity X” mural, Downtown Napa, Napa, CA. First Street Napa
Desert Landscape Mural, Phoenix, AZ. Private residence, Dickman Family
Resiste mini mural, Downtown Napa, Napa, CA. First Street Napa
2017 Sewing signage mural, St. Louis, MO. City Sewing Room
Stained glass mural, St. Louis, MO. Freedom Arts and Education Center
2016 Airbnb mural, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. Putu Family.
“The Edge” mural, Dalyellup, West Australia, Australia. Gravity Trampoline Park
Eagle murals, Dalyellup, West Australia, Australia. Gravity Trampoline Park
2015 Airbnb lace mural, Zagreb, Croatia. Maja Family.
2014 Private Residence, St. Louis, MO. Kasak Family
Wine Cellar Mural, Webster Groves, St. Louis, MO. Robust Wine Bar
2012 Private Residence, St. Louis, MO. Spence Family
PUBLIC ARTS CURATION AND MANAGEMENT
2023 Co-Curator, Designer, and Project Manager, Downtown DC Pedestrian Safety and Experience Study, in partnership with Pipkin Creative
Technical Consultant, Color the Curb pavement mural grant program, DC Department of Transportation
Manager, Silver Spring Chalk Fest, in partnership with Peterson Companies
2022 Technical Consultant, Color the Curb pavement mural grant program, funded and managed by the DC Commission on Arts and Humanities
2021 Consultant, We Are All Connected ground mural, designed by Mo Willems in partnership with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
DC Department of Transportation Livability Study Surface Murals, in partnership with Pipkin Creative
2019 Jury Manager, Napa Art Walk biennial sculpture exhibition, in collaboration with the City of Napa, California Parks and Recreation Department
2018-19 Public Arts Coordinator for City of Napa, California
TEACHING and VISITING ARTIST
2021 Chalk Art Activism workshop, March for our Lives, American University, Washington, DC
2019 Chalk Art Workshop for Smithsonian National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
2019 Chalk Art Workshops for Idea Day at Upper Arlington High School, Columbus, OH
2018 Visiting Teaching Mural Artist, Calistoga Junior-Senior High School, Calistoga, CA
2017 Artist Collaboration Program, Culinary Institute of the Arts, St. Helena, CA
2016 Visiting Teaching Mural Artist, Affton High School, St. Louis, MO
2015 Visiting Teaching Mural Artist, Artscope Day Camp, St. Louis, MO
2014 Visiting Teaching Mural Artist, New City School, St. Louis, MO
2014-2016 Teaching Mural Artist, Freedom Arts and Education Center, St. Louis, MO
2013-2018 Activist Arts Training Program (curriculum development and teaching)
Greenpeace, USA. Workshops held regularly in Oakland, CA and Washington, DC
with specialty workshops taking place in climate crisis frontline communities in
various cities across the country, and in Prague, Czech Republic.
RESIDENCIES AND FELLOWSHIPS
2022 to 2023 Arts Fellow, Gather Fellowship Program, funded by Seeds of Peace
2019 to 2020 Resident Teaching Artist, Moonshot Studio at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
MURAL FESTIVALS
2021 Flint Public Art Project, Flint, MI.
2019 Secret Walls: Cincinnati vs Columbus Major League Soccer, Cincinnati, OH. Created with Phybr.
Blockfort Alley Collaboration Wall, Columbus, OH.
2017 Heavy Mental Art Gallery, Art Basel, Miami, FL. Produced by ER and Kazilla. Created
with Liza Fishbone
2015 Paint Louis, St. Louis, MO. Created with Liza Fishbone
CHALK FESTIVALS
2019 Madonnari Festival, Little Italy, Baltimore, MD
Reston Chalk Art Festival, Reston, VA
Three Rivers Art Festival, Pittsburgh, PA
Crystal Bridges Museum Chalk Art Festival, Bentonville, AR
Arbor Lakes Chalk Festival, Minneapolis, MN
Napa Chalk Art Festival, Napa, CA
Belltown Chalk Festival, Seattle, WA
2018 Luna Park Chalk Festival, San Jose, CA
Palo Alto Festival of the Arts, Palo Alto, CA
North Beach Chalk Festival, San Francisco, CA
2017 Palo Alto Festival of the Arts, Palo Alto, CA
Redwood City Chalk Festival, Redwood City, CA
Marin Street Painting Festival, San Raphael, CA
North Beach Chalk Festival, San Francisco, CA
2016 Via Colori Chalk Festival, Houston, TX
Gesso Italiano, San Diego, CA
North Beach Chalk Festival, San Francisco, CA
Napa Chalk Art Festival, Napa, CA
2015 Gesso Italiano, San Diego, CA
SELECT CHALK RIOT COMMISSIONS - As Sole Proprietor and Leading Artist with Chalk Riot, Chelsea has designed and produced over 200 temporary installations with a wide range of clients, from corporate marketing firms and tech giants to civic design groups and non-profit organizations. A complete list of Chalk Riot’s projects since its founding in 2014 can be found on Chalk Riot’s CV upon request.
Notable corporate clients include: Vevo; Bleacher Report; Google; True Food Kitchen; Task Force Public Relations (MTV); Lime; Dell Computers; Anheuseur Busch; Northstar Ski Resorts; the Saint Louis Cardinals; Trip Advisor.
Cities and neighborhood entities include: City of Takoma Park, the Southwest D.C. Business Improvement District; the Hudson River Park Organization; the City of Napa, California; the City of Sacramento, California; the City of Perth, Australia; the Downtown D.C. Business Improvement District; the D.C. Department of Transportation.
Non-Profit Organizations include: Greenpeace International; the Chinese Historical Society of America; 350.Org; March for our Lives; the Magic House Children’s Museum; Art Saint Louis; St. Louis Shakespeare Festival; Washington Univesity; Saint Louis University Law School; Webster University; Truman State University.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022 Goodwin House, Alexandria, VA
2019 Tiny Show 2, Hen House, Washington, DC
Featured Artist, Engage Art Fair, Napa, CA
2018 Boss Babes ATX Festival (Chalk Riot, with Liza Fishbone), Austin, TX
Featured Artist, Engage Art Fair, Napa, CA
2017 Featured Artist, Displacement and Migration, St. Louis Artist’s Guild, St. Louis, MO
GRANTS AND AWARDS
2021 DC Commission on Arts and Humanities Grant Recipient — Funded production of one large pavement mural as part of the “Color the Curb”project.
2017 Arts Council Napa Valley Annual Artist Grant recipient — Studied and illustrated the lesser known histories of Napa Valley with the Napa County Historical Society
2017 PNC Arts Alive Grant in partnership with Art Saint Louis and Heavy Projects — Created augmented reality pavement art
2016 St. Louis Magazine A-List: Best Street Artist
2015 Dutchtown South St. Louis Street Mural Grant — Designed a thermoplastic ground mural for an intersection as placemaking