Street Painting Festival

Street Painting Festival
June 26th-27th 2010

At the Old Town Temecula Street Painting Festival  spectators can jump right in by painting their own work of art and it’s free!

 Over 100 muralists and visual artists create giant pastel murals. Families, children, and beginners join in the creative endeavor in the family section where more than 500 smaller squares are blocked out for spectators to paint with pastels on the asphalt canvas.

 “What is so unique about our Festival is the free pastel chalk provided families and children. Any spectator can explore performance art with artist’ pastels instead of sidewalk chalk,” stated Melody Brunsting the event coordinator.

Typical sidewalk chalk has less color pigment and is usually less vivid. Artist pastels have richer colors and a wider color palette, aiding the color and depth of the giant murals. Many of the murals are 10 feet wide and 12 feet high. All murals are painted on asphalt giving strong contrast to the pastels.

Techniques for completing the task on time vary. Some artists will mix the chalk with water and spray or brush the backgrounds. Others spread and blend using pieces of carpet. By 3 p.m. on Sunday muralists and master painters will have recreated old masters paintings, originals and modern art in a unique performance art experience.

Street Painting awards are given on Sunday at 3:30 after the last mural is completed. Professional artists from cities throughout Southern California paint many of the estimated 300 murals on the asphalt of Old Town Temecula's streets. 

A cash prize is award the Best of Show, an award chosen by the participating artists. Each year the Best of Show winner is also invited back to the festival as the "featured artist."  Additional awards go to the best newcomer and best youth. Spectators vote for the people's choice award.

The Street Painting Festival coincides with the Ralph Love Plein Air Festival.    Plein Air simply means that the artist paints the scene on location – outdoors. These artists will paint on small canvases and vie for the purchase award honoring the Best of Show.