Palo Alto Festival of the Arts – Italian Street Painting

Italian Street Painting Expo

Yes! Italian Street Painters return to this year’s festival for the fifteenth year. Each masterpiece will have been carefully choreographed—numerous hours of painstaking preparation; then slowly revealed over the two-day event. The anticipation alone brings festival-goers back a second day to watch these talented artists create 100 square-foot images or larger.

This year, the Italian Street Painting Expo will amaze the public with a variety of themes which will reflect each artists’ passion of this unique art form. Replicas of work from “old masters” to “anamorphic” styles, (artwork that appears three-dimensional from a distance or as seen through the camera lens) will cover one full block on Tasso starting at University.

This Italian tradition dates back to the 1500s where street painters became known as Madonnari for creating images of the Madonna on public streets. It has since flourished throughout Europe and the United States bringing many more innovative artists to the scene to try their hand at chalk painting or “pavement art” as it’s known in England.

The word “canvas”—as the public knows it—takes on a whole new meaning if you're a street painter. In fact, this art form—using only chalk pastels—is traditionally very fleeting. Hours and hours are spent creating these works of art; only to have them washed away in a single hour, as if they had never been.

The Italian Street Painting Expo, presented by the Palo Alto Weekly, gives the opportunity for two local non-profits to raise much-needed funds to implement community service programs. Monies raised from the Kids Chalk-a-Lot area (toward the end of Tasso) will benefit Youth Community Service; and monies raised from sponsored artists’ street paintings will benefit Ada’s Cafe. Be sure to stop by and help support both worthy organizations.

This year’s Featured Artist: Ever Galvez is classically trained in painting, drawing, conceptual art, sculpture and traditional animation. Galvez, an award-winning chalk painter, is also a fine artist with more than 15-years’ experience.

Festival weekend, he will be bringing his talents from Southern California to create an enormous 200 square-foot 3D image at the corner of Tasso & University. His visual imagery, always a crowd-pleaser, will be sure to bring enjoyment & lasting memories to all observers.

Visit Ever Galvez Studio to learn more.

Don't miss this temporary art exhibit at "ground level" where a burst of color, design, and awe-inspiring creations are made by chalk.

Lasting memories and a new level of art appreciation will occur after witnessing these performing artists down ‘n’ dirty on their hands and knees, creating magnificent art between the lines.