Will Justus is locally known for his talent of creating chalk murals. However, that is not where his artistic journey began. Justus first got into design in a graphics class he took in high school. He admits it “might seem a little backward because it isn’t a very traditional medium. I had an awesome teacher who pushed me to think outside the box in ways I would have never thought of. Pretty soon after that class, I purchased an iPad to experiment with Procreate (a digital drawing application). That’s where I really started becoming an artist, as the skills I learned there translated into other mediums.” Justus has dabbled with many art mediums over the years, but chalk was the first one to really resonate with him. “My sidewalk chalk journey started as a series of small romantic gestures for my girlfriend, using some leftover pieces of chalk that were lying around her house, and it spiraled out of control from there. After growing more confident in my abilities with chalk, I asked the director of the Ruby B. Archie Public Library (where I also work part-time) if I could volunteer over the weekend and decorate the sidewalk with something special for our patrons. He agreed without hesitation, and that next Sunday I drew a lotus flower growing out of a book so that our patrons could be greeted with something beautiful when they returned on Monday morning. After the overwhelmingly positive reaction that drawing received, I couldn’t wait to do the next one!”
High school may be where Justus started to learn his craft, but he has been artistic since a very young age. He got his start from an untraditional source. Justus had such a vivid imagination because of his love for Harry Potter, Disney, and video games as a child. Even as an adult, Justus is still able to reminisce and muse from these beloved childhood favorites. He shares that “I’m inspired by the love and care shown by the beloved Pixar characters Mike and Sully as they take in and protect Boo as if she were their own. I’m inspired by The Boy Who Lived and the countless disadvantages and threats he had to overcome at such a young age. Like so many others, I’ve spent my entire life relating to the tropes and metaphors of stories and fairy tales. These examples are fictional, sure, but the essence of their plots can be more real than the tangible world. I like to think I also have some magic to share with the world through my art and creativity.”
Justus has had the honor of sharing his art all over the city of Danville and has been commissioned by many businesses and individuals. While most of his projects have been solo endeavors, he hopes to one day have the opportunity to collaborate with other artists to create a giant chalk mural. He remarks that his favorite piece has been “without a doubt, the Breast Cancer Awareness drawing I made along the steps outside of the Averett Student Center. Among the thousands of people the drawing reached, it was incredible to hear so many survivors and warriors tell me how much they loved my art and the smiles it brought to their faces. It seems like there isn’t a single person who hasn’t been affected by breast cancer, whether personally or through a loved one, and it was such a privilege to spread a bit of hope to the community.” Aside from the opportunity to share an important message, Justus believes that his, and others’ art, “forces us (society) to stop and take a second from our incredibly busy lives and appreciate what other humans have been able to create, connecting us emotionally to the world.”
People will often ask, “Why sidewalk chalk?” It is a valid question. Why spend hours upon hours of hard, dedicated work to creating a beautiful masterpiece, when it will just wash away? Why not spend that time and talent on something that is permanent and can be appreciated for ages to come? Justus says, “The short answer is—it sure does save a lot of money on canvases! Jokes aside, my favorite part about it is the short lifespan. Much like a sunrise or a flower in bloom, something feels so special about experiencing temporary beauty. These drawings are how I can emulate that best. I can still take pictures of the drawings to remember, but there isn’t a substitute for experiencing them in the moment. I also like to think of these drawings and their interactions with the environment as an analogy to the human experience. Joy and happiness are temporary feelings that we constantly have to fight for. No matter how badly we want the sun to continue to shine upon us, eventually the rain will come, the concrete will become wet, and the chalk will wash away. It’s important to cling to happiness for as long as we can, remembering that once the rain passes, the sidewalk will dry, and we can paint a beautiful picture once again.”
Justus is now an art major at Averett University. However, he started as an education major. “My decision to come to Averett was originally based on its education program because I wanted to be an elementary school teacher. After touring the campus and discovering what the college had to offer, including more attention from the professors because of its smaller student population and its direct, hands-on approach in preparing its students for their careers, I fell in love. I bought a house in Danville, packed up my things in Blacksburg, and moved here in August 2022 to start my new adventure. A few zigs and zags later, I ended up as an art major to fast track my education and potentially get hired to teach elementary school art. My plans have wavered and changed countless times over the past five years, but today my path has never been clearer. In the next five years, I see myself surrounded by elementary school students who are eager to help me take art to new heights, and who inspire me to show up and be better every day. Growing up, it was hard for me to find and connect with a male role model, so I hope to eventually be that for someone else. There is a high demand for teachers right now. I hope to soon be a part of the crew who are making a true difference in young people’s lives.”