Woman Scolded by Landlord Over Chalk Artwork to Host Town-Wide Event

A woman who was reprimanded by her landlord for her artwork has used the experience to arrange a town-wide art event for her local area.

Kara Vaughn, 24, lives in Hutchinson, Kansas and has recently been sharing her inventive street art online.

From cartoon favorites like SpongeBob SquarePants to Pokémon characters, Vaughn has used the summer months to create bright and beautiful works of art on the sidewalk outside of her apartment, using chalk.

But despite followers on TikTok and Instagram enjoying her work, Vaughn, who is a teacher, was stunned when her landlord's wife said she did not like the chalk art.

Dubbing the art work "disrespectful," she demanded it be removed from the driveway at the apartment. At which point, Vaughn spoke to the city which said she was free to do the chalk art on the nearby sidewalk.

"It hurt a lot," Vaughn told Newsweek, talking about the confrontation with her landlord's wife. "I was excited to show them [the chalk art] and the conversation went in an entirely different direction than I imagined. I was also taken back by the nature of the conversation, I felt her approach was inappropriate and unprofessional."

Since the incident, Vaughn's TikTok videos detailing her experience have gained millions of views and she has had plenty of support for her work.

"I don't know why chalk art is an issue when it's temporary," said one commenter. While another wrote: "She sounds jealous of you. Your art is beautiful."

Following the argument with her landlord's wife, Vaughn says she has received a written apology in the post and been told she will not be evicted.

Newsweek did not immediately have contact details for the landlord's wife.

This is far from the first time a landlord's actions have been the subject of viral attention. From the landlord who added specific rules after a tenant had signed a contract to a tenant who was almost kicked out for keeping the air conditioning at 70 degrees.

Chalk the Town

With things now settled with her landlord, Vaughn felt inspired: "In a phone call with my landlord's wife, she mentioned how she doesn't see chalk art in the town anywhere. This inspired me to make a positive of the situation and organize 'Chalk the Town'. Chalk the Town is organized to spread positivity and kindness within a community."

After discussions with the city, Vaughn has made Chalk the Town a reality and the summer event will encourage the community to join in and create their own chalk artwork on sidewalks.

Talking place on Saturday July 1 and Sunday July 2 in Hutchinson, the event will feature food trucks, live music, games and opportunities to win prizes.

"I'm super excited," said Vaughn. "Everyone can come. We have hotels if needed and Wichita is a 45 minute drive if our hotels fill up."

While she hopes that as many people as possible will make the journey to be part of the event, it isn't just for people who live nearby.

"Those who cannot attend can chalk their sidewalks and post videos or pictures to social media," she said. "They can tag me in their posts and use the hashtag #chalktheworld. I will be featuring a lot these on my TikTok."