Owensboro’s East Bridge Art & Music Festival invites chalk artists for team competition

OWENSBORO, Ky. (Aug. 6, 2015) — The East Bridge Art & Music Festival is a juried art event for serious artists, but there’s a special category open to everyone right up to the day of the festival – a chalk art contest on sections of downtown Owensboro streets.

 

The festival celebrates its fifth year on Sept. 5 at Smothers Park along the Ohio River. The event combines traditional art viewing and sales with live entertainment, food and, of course, the chalk art contest.

 

Shaun Hayes, a professional 3D chalk artist from Chicago, will create a signature display to begin the contest at 9 a.m. The contest ends at noon, with public voting at 2 p.m. People’s Choice and judges’ awards will be announced in the afternoon.

 

Portions of 2nd and 3rd streets will be closed to vehicular traffic to create room for the chalk artists. Participants are assigned 10- or 20-foot street spaces to decorate with chalk provided by the organizers or the contestants. The contest is open to individuals or groups.

 

“We especially want to invite art students from high schools, universities and art schools to bring their team spirit and join us,” said Katherine Taylor of Studio Slant, the festival host. “This is a fun, creative way for anyone to create art and add to the festive atmosphere.”

 

More than 50 regional artists will showcase their artwork in Smothers Park and designated areas of the downtown riverfront. The festival originated at the East Bridge crossing the Ohio River in 2011 and is relocating to accommodate growing interest.

 

Smothers Park is an ideal location. The park has multiple performance venues, a riverside promenade for quiet strolls or more serious exercise, benches and swings for watching the river traffic and a cascading fountain from the designers of the fountains at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The park features one of the largest fully handicapped-accessible playgrounds in the country.

 

Find more information on the festival and a chalk art entry form at Eastbridgeart.com.

 

Owensboro and Daviess County information is available at visitowensboro.com or by calling (270) 926-1100. Stay informed of Owensboro events and happenings through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VisitOwensboro.