ST. GEORGE, Utah – It’s not your average art festival. Here you have to watch where you step, or you could end up waking on the art.
This weekend was the third annual Kayenta Street Painting Festival. Artists from all over the country were in Southern Utah showing what it means when chalk meets the road.
“Spectators usually ask, ‘How do you do that?’ I don’t know. It’s just what I do,” said professional street painter Lysa Ashley. “I do it on paper, I just do it big, it’s just that much more fun.”
Ashley said it’s more than just creating art. It’s a performance. Spectators get to watch the process and see how the art is created. It’s an art form that dates back to the 1600s. Now festivals are done around the world.
“Most time visual artists kind of are alone in their studio,” said Festival Coordinator Amiee Bonham. “They create their art. They maybe take it to a festival and sell it. You can’t sell this.”
This year coordinators allowed attendees to get hands on with the age-old art form. Since the canvas is all around, spectators could pick up a piece of chalk and get in on the fun.
“I think it’s pretty awesome,” young artist Megan Maxwell said. She said she and her brothers love to draw on the sidewalk with chalk.
And even though its temporary, artists say that’s part of the experience.
The festival ran through April 13th. More information can be found here.
