ICT Chalk Talks to launch Friday with lunchtime party

ICT Chalk Talks will kick off its public engagement initiative with a lunchtime launch party Friday.

The initiative has taken over the Douglas facade of the Caldwell Murdock building, 111-113 E. Douglas, turning it into a community chalkboard. Organizers will post questions, then collect the responses before erasing them and adding new questions.

On Friday, the first question will be posted, and eventgoers can write their own ideas and responses on the chalkboard while enjoying food from local food trucks set up in the Pop-Up Urban Park at 121 E. Douglas from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

ICT Chalk Talks, funded through the Knight Foundation Fund at the Wichita Community Foundation, aims to “engage the public in meaningful conversations in a fun and inspirational way,” according to a news release. The project has also extended to vacant storefronts along Douglas, where local artists Delilah Reed and Maggie Gilmore were commissioned to create artwork for the chalkboards.

Community members can also post about and follow ICT Chalk Talks on social media using the hashtag #ICTChalkTalks or by checking the project’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ictchalktalks.

More information about the launch event, which is free and open to the public, can be found at bit.ly/ChalkTalksLaunchParty.

This story was originally published July 25, 2016 at 10:53 PM with the headline "ICT Chalk Talks to launch Friday with lunchtime party."