Sarasota International Chalk Festival -- Flowers!

With Andrea and 3D mural by Sarasota's Truman Adams

A couple of months back, I got an unexpected call from my friend Andrea. Let me preface this by saying that Andrea hates hot weather -- and she's not too keen on Florida as a general matter. While she does visit occasionally, it is only under duress. "Can I come down for this year's Chalk Festival?" she asked. What?!!! Obviously, she didn't have to ask twice. It was great fun to experience this year's Festival with her. 

It's always exciting to see the 2D and 3D works created by chalk artists from around the world. This year's Festival included several 3D "rooms" like the one above by Truman Adams. For most of the rooms, there was no need to get on the ground to take advantage of the photo opp. They're perfect for Sarasota's aging demographic. But there's another reason for the inclusion of these works. 

By Vittorio Valiante (Italy) 

These rooms were created with latex (house paint) and have been preserved for future enjoyment. This is in sharp contrast to the street art. Pursuant to the permit from the City, the roads on which the event took place had to be returned to their original condition by midnight on the last day of the Festival. And so the artworks so painstakingly created for people to enjoy were power washed -- and swept -- away before the clock struck 12. It's heartbreaking, but the ephemeral nature of this art is one of the things that makes it so special. Safety concerns just sped the process up. 

You might have noticed that I referenced works of art being "swept" away. This year's Festival featured more than pavement art created with chalk. Infiorata (floral) artists from around the world also descended upon Sarasota to introduce their tradition to Chalk Festival patrons. Hence, the floral theme.

Kobuki floral carpet by team from Japan

Like chalk art, infiorata paintings have religious roots. In 1625 the Vatican's lead florist created mosaics made of flowers on the floor of the cathedral's basilica. The striking creations captured the imagination of sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It wasn't long before floral "carpets" could be seen on the streets of Rome during Baroque festivals organized by Bernini. 

Over time, the tradition spread across the world. In some countries, the medium is sand rather than flower petals and other organic materials. This year's Chalk Festival featured seven teams of infiorata artists from around the globe, including some sand artists. The work shown here measured 28' x 22' and was created by team Hanae Japan under the leadership of Yasuhiko Fujikawa. This stunning work recreated a ukiyo-e painting by Utagawa Toyokuni in recognition of Japan's classical form of theatre. The carpet was truly incredible, made even more so when you realize it was created in approximately 48 hours plus some prep time for peeling the petals from the flowers. (If you happened to be out and about in the wee hours of the morning, these artists could be found at work on the streets of Burns Square.) Unfortunately, it was hard to get good images of these works given their size. The best way to see more is to go to the Chalk Festival Facebook page, which can be found by clicking here. The drone footage is amazing. 

"Mary Gold" (get it?) by Ghislaine Monte from Bonaire 

Historically, floral carpets could be found at the steps of a church on significant religious holidays. As the congregation left the church, people would walk right onto the artwork, ending its short life. This year's Festival also concluded with a parade, complete with elaborate whimsical costumes created under the tutelage of Canadian mask maker and puppeteer Danae Brissonet. And I helped! Admittedly, my contribution amounted to painting some big squiggly lines and stapling giant paper flowers onto a type of headband, but still. The stapling was really, really hard. (I kid you not -- it took two of us to staple each petal on. Surprisingly, I was not recruited for future projects)  My pictures of the parade are woefully inadequate, but you can check it out by clicking on this link. 

Denise Kowal, Bill Baranowski and the entire team truly outdid themselves this year with the introduction of new ephemeral art forms to the Chalk Festival. Congratulations to everyone involved for putting together an experience participants will long remember. I can't wait to find out what next year will hold.