Robert Mott has enjoyed creating chalk art drawings in public settings for more than 30 years. In the early 1990s he was a regular artist at the I Madonnari Chalk Festival in San Luis Obispo, California where he was known for colorful recreations of historic California orange crate labels. He and his brother, Tom, led a collaborative team of chalk artists that was featured at the premier San Diego Chalk Festival in the late 1990s. In the early to mid-2000s, Mott began sharing his talents at Staunton Jams music festivals, the Staunton Pride Festival and more recently creating fantastical Harry Potter-themed street art at a number of Queen City Mischief and Magic Festivals. In 2017 Mott was invited to create a Jimi Hendrix drawing at the prestigious I Madonnari festival at the historic mission in Santa Barbara, California. In 2024, he created an 8’ x 11’ mariachi chalk drawing for the Arts Council of the Valley at Harrisonburg’s Best.Weekend.Ever. and donated supplies that allowed scores of children to create their own drawings alongside his piece. The success of that event led to our first ever Chalk It Up to the Arts! Harrisonburg Festival in June 2025, with Jennifer Chapparo. In October 2026, Chalk It Up to the Arts! returns as a featured event of the Skeleton Festival on Court Square in Downtown Harrisonburg.
