"I used to draw on the wall as a kid."

That�s a frequently heard comment from people who have recently visited the Carlsten Gallery in the Fine Arts Center of the University of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

"Drawn to the Wall," a work in progress at the Carlsten Gallery runs through Sunday, February 22.

Art and design students of Professor Robert Erickson are working on 12-foot-high self-portraits drawn directly on the gallery walls using black and white chalk.

"This is a kind of performance art," Erickson said.

At the time of the closing reception on Sunday, Feb. 22, the amazing self-portraits will all be finished. The reception from 2 to 4 p.m. in the gallery will feature live music and refreshments.

The public may visit the gallery to watch the students work. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m., and from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday evenings and when performances are scheduled in the Fine Arts Center. Class times are Mondays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

In the adjacent Richard and Myrna Schneider Gallery, Jacob Keevill Leick, a senior from Appleton, is showing his paintings of the universe in an exhibition entitled "Through God's Eyes." He has sold some of his work to NASA employees.

Each student was given a box of 12 chalk sticks that were donated to the project by Prange Art Supplies. Erickson worked with Jae Hong from Prange to acquire the chalk. "This is a great help for us," Erickson said. "The department wouldn�t have been able to afford the investment in the materials for this project otherwise. I�m not sure we would have been able to do this show without the donation from Prange."

"The size is impressive to work with," said Terri Nicewander, a junior art major from Mosinee who is working on the project. "It is part of the creative process to see the evolution of all the drawings."

"I�ve never drawn anything this big," said art major Renee Dolgner, a junior from Waupun. "It was intimidating at first, but it�s fun."

"Because of the size of each piece and because we are working in a public space, a lot of people come in and talk to us," said sophomore art major Jewel Noll of Waukesha. "At first that was very distracting and it bothered me. But as the project has progressed, I can tune out people watching me and I enjoy talking with them."

The 21 intermediate and advanced drawing students are working from 8x10 photos taken by fellow art major Lindsey Clough of Eland, who operates Northern Exposure Wedding Photography. The students worked with Clough to get a photo that reflects what they hope to accomplish in the gallery. "It was exciting to be part of something so amazing," Clough said. "I was honored to be able to do it."

It is a very physical process to work in this large space. The artists climb on ladders to draw some parts of their figure, then back off to look at the whole piece. "We can use big sweeping movements," Noll said. "It�s almost meditative."

The students have developed a sense of community while they are working together. They can be seen contemplating each other�s work, discussing problems they are running into and trading ideas.

After the reception, the walls will be painted and another exhibit will go into the gallery. However, the project is being documented with photos and videos as the work progresses. Viewers can go to the Department of Art and Design�s Web site at www.uwsp.edu/art-design/whats_new/ to view in progress images of the students drawings.

"When this is finished, it will be painted over and then it�s gone," Noll noted. "It isn�t as limiting as working on something that�s permanent. Because it�s temporary, the work is not so precious and we can be more intuitive."