Hundreds of squares in the Sidewalk Arts Festival drew in spectators but none gathered as much attention as the “Time’s Person of the Year” squares, which was a special tribute to Scott Kirchner. The tribute, which was located near the SCAD alumni area, took up six squares and a large box full of chalk to complete.
One of the artists responsible for the masterpiece was Marion Mason, who was an art teacher at the Lexington High School in South Carolina. He explained that when the Sidewalk Arts Festival began in 1987, he took some of his students to Savannah to participate.
One of those students was Scott Kirchner, who passed away last October from a heart attack.
Mason described Kirchner as a great guy, artist, and musician. According to the newspaper clipping, which was posted next to the tribute, Kirchner graduated from high school in 1998 and pursued a degree in graphic design at the University of Central Florida. The clipping was surrounded by photos of Kirchner and his classmates at the Sidewalk Arts Festival throughout the years.
Kirchner, along with his classmates, would often return to Savannah to participate in the festival even after they had graduated. Mason pointed at one of the artists working on the tribute. “That’s Troy Wingard. He’s been coming back here every single year,” he explained. Mason himself has been back around 17 times.
This year was special, he said, because they decided to do a “tribute for one of our own.” The artists working on all six squares were the original members of Mason’s group.
Even after the winners of the festival had been announced, Mason and his former students were still working diligently on the “Person of the Year.” They would occasionally stop to answer questions of passers-by, talk about Kirchner, and then return to finish their work.
With all the hard work, effort and love put into this creation, it is safe to say that Mason and his former students deserve “Block of the Year” but only “Time” will tell.