News

Here's this year's Chalk It Up! winners

Yoriko Russell’s drawing of Mount Rushmore won in the America the Beautiful Patriotic category. Yoriko’s mother, Beverly, won in the Professional category of this year’s Chalk It Up!

By KEVYN CARTER-LONG, Published: July 28, 2026

This year’s Chalk It Up! might have been the best yet, says Barbara Hughes, the Narnia Studios shop owner who started the sidewalk art drawing contest in 1996 as a way to occupy her three young kids.

Two of those children were in town to celebrate the 30th anniversary with her on July 18, underscoring to Hughes how meaningful the tradition has become for the community.

As always, young (and older) artists created amazing work. Winners of downtown Hendersonville’s 30th annual Chalk It Up! were:

• 5 and under: Dolly Scholz, Jonathan Gessler, Jona Gessler, Theo Binford, Espen Staalman.
• 6-8 years old: Isla Eddy, Paxton Selph, Belle Bernier, Louise Scholz, Benaiah Gessler.
• 9-12 years old: Brianna Gessler, Ruby Byrd, Nyla Black, Parker Wagner, Annabelle Binford.
• 13-20 years old: Ruthy Gessler, Ella Maynard, Theo Leclair, Abigail Dugdale, Natalie Rice.
• 21 and over: Patrice Hoerster, Alicia Eddy, Jacqueline Selph, Julia Staalman, Elijah Dugdale.
• Professional: Beverly Russell.
• America the Beautiful Patriotic Winner: Yoriko Russell.

As it turned out, the winners of the Professional category and the America the Beautiful Patriotic category (in honor of America 250) were mother and daughter: Yoriko and Beverly Russell. The pair are long-time Chalk It Up! participants and Hughes was delighted at their creative work this year, as always.

“An early afternoon rain came to remind everyone that the ephemeral nature of Chalk It Up! adds to our love for it,” Hughes said via email. “It’s fleeting but you still have the memories to hold on to.”