Press and Accolades
NPR Featured Story on Chalk Riot’s Back-to-School “Chalk Walk” in DC
"It's always exciting to see other people turned on by the opportunity of sidewalk chalk," Ritter-Soronen said. "Something that both Positive Chalk and Chalk Riot share, and I think any pavement artist in the world, is that we understand that the ground is the one place in the world that we all share, whether we're aware or not, and that presents an opportunity to express ourselves in public."
In 2023, I served as one of sixteen artists with social practices from twelve different countries, and this is the program’s profile of me.
CultureStrike coverage of our community pavement mural created in Napa, CA as a response to the wildly destructive 2017 North Bay Fires.
PBS Newshour speaks with Chelsea about Chalk Riot and the role of pavement art during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“After dedicating our lives [to] preaching how sidewalks are the ultimate canvas, all of a sudden the entire world is recognizing it,” Ritter-Soronen said. In the long run, “hopefully cities and residents recognize the unique opportunities to use public space in creative ways that maybe were not thought of before.”
Notable Articles and Mentions
Napa Valley Register
cover page article on Chelsea and Chalk Riot
“I believe that art and cultivating empathy with art can be one of our greatest tools in fighting for social justice,” said Ritter-Soronen.
St. Louis Magazine A-List:
Best Street Artist
By recasting the images and posting them in unexpected spaces, Ritter-Soronen caught our gaze and reminded us that we’d brought tens of thousands of Bosnians here during the Balkans War; why not welcome the Syrians now?
Painted Window Murals as part of #PaintTheStorefronts Initiative in Arlington, VA
Washington Post review of Fragile Beauty show: “Illustrating our Broken Relationship with Earth”
Themes aside, “Fragile Beauty” is an impressive survey of contemporary D.C. artists with strong work … This may not be an upbeat show, but the impression it offers of the Washington art scene is auspicious. - Mark Jenkins
Washington, DC T.V. interview with Chelsea about Takoma Park Together street art campaign
“We are a small business too so we have a lot of empathy and understanding with the other small businesses that we are working in partnership with for this,” Ritter-Soronen said. “Put our focus on the local because the global can seem overwhelming.”
DCist article about Chelsea’s experiences painting murals in DC throughout the pandemic
“Often succulents and cacti will randomly blossom when you least expect it,” she says. “I think there’s a lesson in that too.”
Interview with Chalk Riot crew about 350-foot-long painted ground mural!
“[It’s a] big, colorful mural to welcome people back and to reflect that energy back into the space. We believe its one of the most underutilized canvasses so the more cities can think about how to integrate public art with pedestrian transportation safety, the better it is for everybody,” said Chelsea Ritter-Soronen, one of the artists.
St. Louis TV Interview about Chalk Riot’s augmented reality pavement art
“But when they see something that jumps out at them from an environment they're otherwise totally familiar with, they can't help but engage with it, especially when there's a technology element involved with it,” says Chandler Branch, Executive Director of Art St. Louis.
WTOP DC News Radio piece on Chalk Riot’s safety murals in Southwest DC
Ritter-Soronen said she believes displays like this one show that art can do more than add color to a neighborhood; it can encourage public safety.“There are many bike lanes in D.C. that could use similar treatments to make sure that everybody stays safe,” said Ritter-Soronen.
Washingtonian Magazine feature article on Chalk Riot, “Chalk Riot Makes Amazing Art that Almost No One Will See”
“DC is home to some seriously enduring works of art, from a 14th-century Giotto painting at the National Gallery of Art to an Olmec mask at Dumbarton Oaks that could date to 900 BC. But the least lasting? That just might be the work of Chelsea Ritter-Soronen.”