The Cleveland Museum of Art will host its annual Chalk Festival on Sept. 14-15, giving artists of all ages and abilities the chance to participate in a tradition dating to 16th-century Italy.
The festival is a modern expression of that tradition, in which artists copied paintings of the Madonna by Raphael and his contemporaries using chalk on the plazas outside cathedrals.
The sidewalk artistry by professional chalk artists and local community groups, families and individuals, ultimately makes the CMA’s south plaza and walkways through the Fine Arts Garden and Wade Lagoon come alive with color.
This year’s Chalk Festival features artists John G., Ke Gray, Danté Rodriguez, Lacy Talley, Rafael Valdivieso, and a selection of Cleveland Institute of Art illustration students. Artist and disability rights advocate John G. provides representation for how the event is accessible for those with limited mobility. Guests can engage with all artists to learn about their work.
Everyone can participate in the Chalk Festival on Sept. 14-15; to chalk a creation, participants can visit the registration tent in the Fine Arts Garden to purchase their pavement square. Chalk pastels suitable for the museum’s pavement are included in the purchase, which costs $15 for a small square or $20 for a large on. Accessible spaces are available for those using wheelchairs or with limited mobility.