Blog Now on streetpainting.tv - 4D Street Painting Art

CHALK4PEACE: An Interview with John Aaron

 

Valley View E.S., Richmond, CA 9/11/09 photo: Jerry Downs Photography
   

Blog Now on streetpainting.tv is always impressed by ambitious projects for street painting, and we are especially impressed by the mission of CHALK4PEACE.  John Aaron, CEO of CHALK4PEACE, shares his thoughts on the growth of the movement of those dedicated to peace through sidewalk chalk in 2010…

John Aaron: "Thank you for asking me about CHALK4PEACE.  Sidewalk chalk painting has gained quite a resurgence as both an artistic expression and medium for one's message across the globe. From the talent seen at the I Madonnari festivals to the massive-scale collaborative drawings of entire school districts, sidewalk chalk painting has gained a certain stature it has been struggling for decades. It is chalk painting's time."

 

Community Arts Therapy Programme St. George's Cathedral, Cape Town S. Africa 9/18/09 photo: Angela Rackstraw

 
Blog Now: Since 2006, CHALK4PEACE has encouraged events in twenty countries and five continents with scores of volunteers with positive results; what have been some of your favorite projects to date and what particularly made them so?

John Aaron: "There are dozens of stories worthy of note here. Moments in each that are as inspirational to the concepts of art and peace as one could imagine. Ones that are to me most moving are those which the organizers and artists break ground in their energy, innovation and effort to share their stories about their goals for peace. Nearly everyone who participates becomes inspired beyond their own belief.
 
St. George's Cathedral, Cape Town South Africa has done it since 2006. Angela Rackstraw, one of Ode Magazine's 25 most intelligent optimists for 2009 has brought the concept of peace to young artists who literally did not know what the word meant. They have decorated the step's of St. George's Cathedral ever since Archbishop Emeritas Desmond Tutu brought her the project as a way to teach peace.
 
The Crane Country Day School, Santa Barbara, CA, led by Debbie Williams, Director of Admissions, has joined CHALK4PEACE for the past two years, complete with beautiful videos and photo essays from Paul Westmacott, Teresa Pietsch, and Will Fredericks. The entire school literally ran for the chalk!
 
Marielle Mariano has almost singlehandedly launched CHALK4PEACE  into 150 locations around the Washington, DC Beltway, including the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, The Organization of American States,Busboys and Poets and 150 locations in the Fairfax County Public Schools! She is the East Coast Coordinator for CHALK4PEACE. She is  responsible getting more than one hundred thousand people to join with us for CHALK4PEACE since 2006. Maybe that number is low.
 
To visit the schools that CHALK4PEACE, and I've visited almost one hundred over the last four years (my colleague Marielle has attended more events than I, you see how similarly we envision the concept of peace and how differently ways we express it through art. It continues to be mind-blowing..."
 

Crane Country Day School, Santa Barbara, CA 9/17/09 photo: Will Fredericks

Blog Now: Do you feel that the call to service and volunteerism that is becoming apart of life for many has actually helped accelerate the participation of those who may not have turned to expressing themselves as creative individuals for the CHALK4PEACE?

John Aaron: "I think it's a larger notion: I think people want to volunteer their energy into things that can make the world a better place. CHALK4PEACE creates a global lens through which we can all see how the world envisions peace. Once it's recognized as hopeful and not hokey, there's no end to the positive collective artistic spirit that CHALK4PEACE fosters. As a non-profit, we are a legitimate organization working to encourage peace as  a global tapestry that stretches around the world. It's a daunting task."

Grundschule Thadenstr -playground Hamburg, Germany 9 Sept. Organizer, photo: Katja Frank
 
Blog Now: What has been the reaction from public and private organizations towards the events since 2006 and do you see repeat events from some these organizations?

John Aaron: "95% of the sites continue the event on a annual basis.  We do not actually know where ALL of the sites are. We try."

Woodlawn E.S. Alexandria, VA 10/01/09 Photo: Marielle Mariano

iNDIGO PROJECT'S Miracle Mile Art Walk/CHALK4PEACE, L.A., CA 9/19/09 photo: Leyna Roget

Via Apprendista & Via Bambini at Via Colori in Houston, TX - November 21 & 22

Free Street Painting Festival ¨Downtown Houston¨ November 21 -22

The 2009 Houston Via Colori Street Painting Festival includes a high school art showcase and an area for children, called Via Apprendista and Via Bambini, respectively.

We discussed the 2009 Houston Via Colori Festival in a July posting. In it, we highlighted that Via Colori is an annual, two-day, FREE event that takes place the weekend before Thanksgiving in downtown Houston in Sam Houston Park and the surrounding streets of Allen Parkway and Bagby. This year's highlights include Melanie Stimmell as the 2009 El Paso Featured Artist and Lysa Ashley as the 2009 Quantum Energy Partners Featured Artist. The Center for Hearing and Speech (CHS) 2009 Featured Artists are Bryan Higgins and Kenneth Pierson, veteran Via Colori artists and local Houstonians who regularly donate their time to The Center for Hearing and Speech. Guest artists this year are Genna Panzarella and Cecelia Linayao.

The upcoming Via Colori's Via Apprendista section has doubled in size to include many more Houston area schools. In this section, budding artists from more than a dozen Houston area high schools and districts will be featured as part of the Via Apprendista High School Art Competition in which art students have been invited to submit designs created in pastels.

Each entry will be evaluated based on the quality of work and its aesthetic appeal as street art. All submissions from each participating school were judged at The Center for Hearing and Speech on Friday, Oct. 16.

The chosen winners from each of schools will then be awarded the opportunity to recreate their design to fit a 4 foot by 4 foot square at Houston Via Colori 2009 in the Via Apprendista section of the street painting festival. An “Honorable Mention” will be chosen from each school as well. The Honorable Mention artwork will be displayed at the festival.

Via Colori also has Via Bambini, which is a section that is a huge hit with children and families. In this section, anyone, but especially families with children, is invited to purchase a smaller square for a minimal fee to create their own street painting. Music and food are also a big part of the festival. Other activities include face painting, Radio Disney performers on Sunday, the Zoo Mobile on both days, Rockets Road Jam Tour.

Proceeds benefit CHS, which enables children with hearing impairments to realize their full potential by teaching them listening, speaking and literacy skills. The two-day event, free to the public, will raise awareness and critical funds to help CHS serve with hearing impairments, as well as inspire creativity and build community.

Event Details

· 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. on Saturday November 21

· 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, November 22

· Sam Houston Park, 110 Bagby, Houston, TX  77002

Informational Links

Houston Via Colori

The Center for Hearing and Speech

Festival Bella Via 2009 Competition Winners - Monterrey, Mexico

Festival Bella Via 2009 was an amazing festival this past weekend...and it showcased some amazing work by artists competing in two Semplici categories, Renaissance and Free Theme. 

And the winners are...drum roll please...

Renaissance Category

1st Place (above): Madonnari Jesus Alberto Carrizal Esquivel and Helena Renee Guzman Chavarri.  'Virgen y El Nino', fragmento; original by Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio, 1490. 

2nd Place (above): Madonnaro Juan Guerra Benitez.  'Virgen en el trono con San Juan Bautista'; original by Rafael Sanzio, 1505-06. 

3rd Place (above): Wenseslao Garcia Abundis.  'Virgen y El Nino'; original by Giulio Romano, 1520-25.

People's Choice (above): Yurixie Padilla Zavala.  'Triptico de Frari', fragmento; original by Giovanni Bellini, 1488.

Free Theme Category

1st Place (above): Madonnari Omar Saenz Hinojosa and Eleazar Saenz Martinez.  'Cuauhtemoc'; original by Jesus Helguerra, 1948.

2nd Place & People's Choice (above): Eduardo Gabriel Bustos Almanza and Eduardo Jair Bustos Solis.  'La Oracion'; original by William Adolphe Bouguereau, 1865.

3rd Place (above): Ana Maria Pina Mendoza and Yeni (dominicana) Hernandez Herrera. 'El Resplandor'; original by Tamara de Lempicka, 1932.

There was also a Qualificati Category this year, which is the second level of titles one can receive.  The order is Semplici (entry level), Qualificati (middle level), and Maestro (top honor). The winner of the Qualificati category was Adrian Monsivais Rosales, who now has the honor of title Maestro! 

Above: 'El Velori' street painting by Adrian Monsivais Rosales; original by Jose Jara, 1889.

Blog Now on streetpainting.tv congratulates all of the Festival Bella Via winners!  You created some beautiful and inspiring street paintings and truly turned the plaza into a 'bella via'...beautiful street! 

Lorelle Miller's award winning street painting at Via Arte in Bakersfield, CA

Lorelle Miller returned from the Via Arte Street Painting Festival in Bakersfield, CA this past weekend with a 1^st place award for her street painting! 

 
Lorelle told Blog Now on streetpainting.tv…"The 8’ x 12’ piece is after George Romney and is titled, ‘Lady Hamilton as Bachante’, 1785.  This piece seemed to paint itself, so to speak. The drawing came easily (I do not use a grid), and the painting just came very organically. Probably because I had done another street painting the week before. I must have been pretty warmed up.

 
The experience I got from this street painting ranged from exhilaration to complete and utter release and relaxation. Amazing what feelings are experienced during the process of painting.  Much to my surprise, this piece won 1st place for the visiting professional street painters. The judge said that he particularly liked how this piece was so very reminiscent of the traditional forms of street painting found historically throughout Europe. There were so many pieces that were totally exceptional, I was really surprised and honestly felt sort of humbled by the whole thing.
 
I have no other street painting plans for now, so we will see what comes up in the future. I hope to continue traveling and performing this wonderful art form. I do love it so!"

Lorelle Miller's "The Mandolin Player" at the Santa Clarita Festival of the Arts

 
Street painter Lorelle Miller recently created a street painting for the Santa Clarita Festival of the Arts. Lorelle tells Blog Now on streetpainting.tv that "the piece was called 'The Mandolin Player', after Anselm Feuerbach - Germany 1865.  This lovely Roman woman is Anna Risi, Feuerbach’s mistress.  His art was shaped by the Italian climate and light, but especially by its classical legacy, a subtle aesthetic which his own period of industrial and artistic revolution lacked. The piece was 8’ x 12’ in size." 

Thanks for sharing this Lorelle! 

 

Qualificati Madonnari Contestants at Festival Bella Via 2009

The Qualificati category contestants had some beautiful work at Festival Bella Via.  They street painted larger areas than the Semplici category contestants, but had to complete their work in the same time frame.  Here are some photos of a few of the Qualificati Madonnari street paintings.

Qualificati Madonnara Ofelia Margarita Botello Morales and Silvia Lucia Moron Quiroz's street painting 'Rompiendo Cadenas', original by Jesus Helguerra, 1959.  

 Qualificati Madonnaro Joel Vicente Flores Quiroz's street painting 'Mujer y Calabaza'; original by Saturnino Herran. 1917. 

Qualificati Madonnaro Ruben Martinez Arriaga's street painting 'Etnografia'; original by David Alfaro Siqueiros, 1939. 

Qualificati Madonnaro Adrian Monsivais Rosales working on his street painting 'El Velorio', original by Jose Jara, 1889.

Qualificati Madonnari Sandra Gonzalez Quiroga and Claudia Gonzalez Quiroga street painted 'Soldadera', original by Casasola, 1914. 

Qualificati Madonnaro Roberto Carlos Trevino Rodriguez's street painting in progress - 'Sor Juana de la Cruz', original by Miguel Cabrera, 1751.

Bravo to all of the Qualificati Madonnari for all of your hard work and beautiful street paintings!!

Madonnari Qualificati at Festival Bella Via 2009...and the first Mexican Maestro!

Part of the street painting competition at Festival Bella Via is a category called Qualificati Madonnari.  These are artists who have won a place in previous competitions so they no longer compete in the entry category (Semplici), they compete with other Qualificati level artists. All of the work at this level is so very good...it must have been hard for the judges to agree on a winner.  But they did and the winner is now given the title Maestro Madonnari, the highest title awarded.  This is the first time a Mexican artist has been awarded this title at Festival Bella Via....and the winner is Adrian Monsivais Rosales, who street painted 'El Velorio', original by Jose Jara, 1889.  Congratulations Adrian!

Adrian with his family after winning 1st place in the Qualificati category.  
 

Festival Bella Via 2009 - Monterrey, Mexico: Other Entertainment

Besides all the wonderful street painting being created at Festival Bella Via, we had some other entertainment too...

'Viva la Patria' Heroes display at Festival Bella Via.  Some of the characters had cut-out areas so you can take a photo of your face on their body...lots of fun!  Anthony Cappetto is in the left cut-out.

Francisco Villa smiling for the camera!
Group Photos: Festival Bella Via staff photo. Festival Director: Rosy Loyola (bottom row, third from right). General Coordinator: Rosa Maria Leal (bottom row, second from right). Development: Katya Soto, Jorge Hernandez, Diana Martinez, Manuel Terrones, Ludivina Velasquez, Laura Gutierrez, Nelly Escamilla, Manuel Garcia. Youth/Children artist liasons: Rubi Morin, Ileana Ibarra, Sergio Antonio Narvaez, Angela Diaz, Martha Escamilla. Madonnari liasons: Martha Villagomez, Roberto Garza, Bianca Arellano, Manuel Barcenas, Leonardo Rodriguez, Florencia Carbajal.

Madonnari Ricardo Garza Licona and Miguel Angel Cardenas Ovalle were just a lot of fun to be around! Plus we love their sombreros!

Musical group El Nacional played traditional music about the Mexican Independence and Revolution.  

'Viva La Patria' Exhibition at Festival Bella Via, Monterrey, Mexico - 2009

This year at Festival Bella Via in Monterrey, Mexico, the theme was 'Viva la Patria' and it was celebrated with a street painting tribute to 9 heroes of the Mexican Independence (1810) and Revolution (1910).  Next year marks the 200th anniversary of the Mexico's Independence from Spain and the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution. 

Madonnari from the US, Italy and Mexico street painted portraits of these heroes in the exhibition area of the festival.  Tracy Lee Stum (US) was the artistic consultant for the exhibition.

1810 INDEPENDENCE HEROES:

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

 
VIVA EL CURA HIDALGO! Street painting by Maestra Madonnara Tracy Lee Stum (US), assistants Marina Escamilla and Andrea Ramos.

Fray Servando Teresa de Mier

 
VIVA EL PADRE MIER! Street painting by Qualificati Madonnara Alba Rosa Amezcua, assistants Carlos Anaya and Claudia Priscila Barbosa.

Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez

VIVA LA CORREGIDORA! Street painting by Maestra Madonnara Selica Trippini (Italy), assistants Miguel Solis, Maria Adriana Rodriguez, and Alejandra Molina.

Jose Maria Morelos Y Pavon

 

VIVA MORELOS!  Street painting by Qualificati Madonnari Adriana Garcia, assistants Rosyna Hernandez, Beatiz H. Montano, and Itzel Suarez.

Juan Ignacio Ramon

VIVA JUAN IGNACIO RAMON!  Street painting by Qualificati Madonnaro Emir Guerrero, assistants Adrian Trevino and Dayana Escamilla.

1910 REVOLUTION HEROES:

Francisco Villa

VIVA VILLA! Street painting by Qualificati Madonnaro Valentino Salas, assistants Alejandro Cavazos, Eduardo Ramirez and Veronica Garcia. 

Emiliano Zapata

 
 
 VIVA ZAPATA! Street painting by Qualificati Madonnaro Juandres Vera, assistants Marisol Antillon, and Laura Carolina Valenzuela.

Soldadera  

VIVA SOLDADERA! Street painting by Qualificati Madonnaro Carlos Hunberto Garcia, assistants Javier Guillen and Alejandra Gutierrez.

Pablo Gonzalez Garza
 
  VIVA PABLO GONZALEZ! Street painting by Qualificati Madonnara Valentina Sforzini (Italy), assistants Maria Miron and Michelle Arrollo.

Actors dressed as the heroes in the exhibition street paintings.  

Some of the Exhibition Madonnari taking a short break. Lto R: Juandres, Adriana, Rosyna, Alba (standing), Valentina, Carlos, Selica.

Night photo of many of the Exhibition Madonnari and Festival Director Rosy Loyola posing by the Pablo Gonzalez street painting. L to R seated: Rosy, Emir, Alba, Tracy, Valentino, Adriana, Carlos, Marisol and Juandres.

Festival Bella Via 2009 - Monterrey, Mexico: Competition Photos

Hi Everyone...streetpainting.tv just returned from Festival Bella Via in Monterrey, Mexico and Blog Now on streetpainting.tv has lots of photos to share with you.  The festival was a huge success with thousands of people coming out to see the beautiful artwork!  Here are some of the festival photos from the Semplici Madonnari category (entry level), starting with some street paintings in progress...

Madonnaro Jose Portillo Rocha street painting 'Cristo Orando en el Huerto de Getsemani'; original by Anton Rafael Mengs, 1769.

Madonnari Jesus Alberto Carrizal Esquivel and Helena Renee Guzman Chavarri street painting 'Virgen y El Nino', fragment; original by Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio, 1490. 

Madonnari Azael Gonzalez Martinez and Nancy Judith Gomez Rivera street painting 'Virgen y El Nino', fragment; original by Jan Gossaert, 1530.

Madonnari Rodrigo Soto Sanchez and Maria de Jesus Escobar Sanchez street painting 'Madonna del Cojin Verde'; original by Andrea di Solario, 1507-11. 

Madonnara Maria del Carmen Vallejo Villalpando street painting 'Madonna del la Silla'; original by Rafael Sanzio, 1518.

Madonnari Zyanya L. Antiga Martinez and Alejandra Mejia Pimentel street painting 'Sol Ardiente de Junio'; original by Lord Frederick Leighton, 1895.

Madonnari Astrid Celina Gallegos Flores and Brenda Gonzalez Guajardo street painting 'Princesa Maya'; original by Armando Dreschler, 1942.

  Madonnari Gabriela Elizabeth Garza Esquivel and Elena Catalina Cavazos Calderon street painting 'La Bella Jardinera'; original by Rafael Sanzio, 1507.

Madonnari Cristina Minerva Flores Torres and Fernando Adrian Morales Soto street painting 'Madonna de la Calles'; original by Roberto Ferruzi, 1897. 
 
  Madonnari Marcela Yanely Alvarado Rivera and Daniela Hinojosa Loera street painting 'Pequenas Alas'; original by Adele Lorienne Saiman, 2007. 
  
 And some finished street paintings... 
   
  
 
Street painting 'Autorretrato' by Madonnari Diana A. Balleza Rodriguez and Vianka Ramirez; original by Vincent Van Gogh, 1889. 
 
  Street painting 'Santa Catalina', fragment by Madonnari Iliana Salinas del Castillo and Monica Murillo Ordonez; original by Fernando Yanez de la Almedina, 1510.
 
 
Madonnari Mayra Josefina Flores Avila with her street painting 'La Primavera', fragment; original by Sandro Botticelli, 1482.

'David y Goliat' street painting by Madonnari Sergio Arturo Moreno Hernandez and Adrian Moreno Hernandez; original by Tiziano, 1542-44.

'Noche Estrellada' street painting by Madonnari Edune Uribe Perez Coeto and Marysol Uribe Perez Coeto; original by Vincent Van Gogh, 1889.
  
'Marilyn sobre fondo Azul' street painting by Madonnari Irene Garcia Carrillo and Nelda Hinojosa Trevino; original by Andy Warhol, 1964.

'Mariposas Blancas' street painting by Madonnari Ana Celia Tijerina Martinez and Cesar Jair Hernandez Ponce; original by Victor Roddriguez, 2007.

 

'El Juego de D. Leonardo' street painting by Madonnari ALberto Viloria Olvera and Cesar Polack Ugarte; original by Alfredo Castaneda, 2001.

'La Incredulidad de Santo Tomas' street painting by Madonnari Silvio Paradiso Balice (Italy); original by Michelangelo Caravaggio, 1600-01.

 

'El Viento del Norte y El Sol' street painting by Madonnara Angelica Martinez Bracho; original by Naoto Hattori, 2008.
   

There was a large variety of work at Festival Bella Via as the artists were able to choose images to street paint from 2 categories - Renaissance and Free Theme.  There were 70 participants in each of these 2 categories.  Bravo to all of the contestants for your hard work, creativity, and passion for the art of street painting!! 

More posts to come soon, including the Viva La Patria Exhibition photos and competition winners!