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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Neighborhoods Employment Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend October 8, 2006 Brothers Casey Wagoner, 4, left, and Cameron, 6, of Grants Pass work on small drawings on a center strip down the middle of H Street. (Mail Tribune / Jim Craven) WRITTEN in CHALK Artists gather to create fleeting masterpieces at Art Along the Rogue in downtown Grants Pass By Bill Varble Mail Tribune In Bruce Stone's brief career as a chalk artist — one day so far — he's become an authority on manhole covers. "You know why they're round?" he says, taking a quick respite from the chalk art he's creating on the street. Nobody does. "It's the only shape that won't fall through the hole." Stone, of Cave Junction, is a graphic artist and Web site designer in his day job. He did online research on manholes for his artwork. Advertisement This day he's just one of the many professional and amateur artists taking part in a street art event in connection with Art Along the Rogue, a two-day art and music fest that continues today with live music from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. downtown (just go downtown and look for a place to park; expect to walk a couple blocks). Dozens of artists have taken over a block of H Street, which is closed to traffic, and turned the blacktop into an outdoor gallery with each artist claiming a patch of road in which to create her own masterpiece. "It's my second year in a row," says artist Cole McKenzie-Hicker, a Grants Pass native who now lives in La Center, Wash. Her artwork is a large, realistic portrait of a young woman with cheekbones to die for. "It's fun," she says of the event. "You don't normally see this many artists together." She studied art at Rogue Community College and would like to be a professional artist. She works as a full-time nanny. Even for a young person, the genre is physically punishing, with artists crabbing around on their knees on the asphalt in the sun by the hour. "It takes about a week to get over it," McKenzie-Hicker says with a laugh as Siskiyou Summit, one of 10 bands performing here over the weekend, breaks into a bluegrass version of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide." The next artist is Cole's husband, Daniel Hicker, a car salesman who says he will soon enter the U.S. Navy to study air traffic control. Hicker's piece de resistance is a red 1972 Chevy Nova. "I used to have one," he says. "She said I should do a car. I'm kind of learning as I go." Hicker, like many of the artists here, works by means of a grid system, which enables him to control the perspective in the large, unorthodox space in which he works. Featured artists — there are three professionals here — work in much larger spaces and create complex, striking artworks. The pros, all of whom will be returning Sunday, are Ann Hefferman, of Santa Barbara, Calif., Rod Tyron, of Cutchogue, N.Y., and Ann DiSalvo, of Ashland. There are more than 30 "street painters" like the Hickers, and for $5, anybody can rent a can of chalk and lay claim to a 2-foot square. There are landscapes, seascapes, figure studies, Peter Max-style fantasies and much more, including Stone's subject, a worker climbing out of a manhole. Alongside the hole from which the worker is emerging lies, of course, a manhole cover. Stone says it's a classic subject for street art events. "There've been slightly different versions," he says. The perspective changes as you move around, and the thing sparks smiles from all angles. Stone isn't sure whether he'll try similar events in the future. "But the people are great," he says. As many as 8,000 people are expected for the two-day event according to production team member Kerrie Walters. "It's good for the downtown," she says. "That's her thing," says RCC's Tommi Drake. "Mine is, it's good for the art community." Reach reporter Bill Varble at 776-4478 or [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing GMAT Prep Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com