When the Chalk Art Festival started eight years ago, it brought the talent of 12 local chalk artists to Bayshore Town Center to add a pop of color to the center’s streets.
During this year’s festival, set for Saturday, Aug. 16, and Sunday, Aug. 17, 70 chalk artists from all over the country will head to Bayshore Town Center to put their chalk masterpieces to pavement.
The artist turnout will be the festival’s largest with several returning artists in addition to family teams and youth participants.
The festival has largely grown through word of mouth within chalk artists’ networks, according to M.P. Theriault, marketing director of Bayshore Town Center and the brains behind the festival.
Theriault launched the Chalk Art Festival in 2007 after attending a chalk art festival in 2005 in Denver, where she previously lived and worked.
Last year’s event drew just over 50 chalk artists and about 5,000 attendees, Theriault estimates. The town center aims to draw at least that many patrons this year.
“It’s so interesting, and I think the arts are always just a great way to spend an afternoon,” Theriault said. “And having a mixture where we have restaurants and shopping and seeing art – it just makes for a great day.”
Artists will begin working at 10 a.m. on Saturday and will have about eight hours to complete their pieces.
Along with the live action will be a voting contest. Bayshore patrons will be able to vote for their favorite artists and creations until 6 p.m. on Saturday. Awards will be presented in six categories: “People’s Choice,” Most Likely to be Hung in a Museum,” “Best Use of Color,” “Artist Youth Award,” “Best Animal,” and a new category known as “Best Dinosaur.”
The “Best Dinosaur” award winner will take home suite-level tickets to the “Walking With dinosaurs” show at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
The Chalk Festival will also feature live music throughout Saturday and Sunday as well as art workshops guided by the Riverwest Artists Association.
On Sunday, the festival will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The festival is free and open to the public, with sponsorship provided by California Pizza Kitchen and North Shore Bank.
Bayshore Town Center is located at 500 N. Bayshore Drive in Glendale.
For more information, visit www.bayshoretowncenter.com.
