Chalking it up to experience
Prizes for Sidewalk Art Festival increase
File photo by Richard Rodriguez
An artist works on his entry for the 1999 Sidewalk Arts Festival.
17,000 people
attended last year's festival. SCAD employees expect a similar turnout for
2000.
Although the Sidewalk Arts Festival is April 29, nearly two months away, participants are already preparing. This year, the stakes are higher than ever - the best overall work receives $1,000.
Other prizes have also increased. Student awards range from $200 to $700, group awards are between $100 and $500 and alumni awards are $200 to $700.
Registration begins April 3, but the planning can begin weeks ahead of time. The competition asks artists to transform a slab of concrete into a work of art. In order to win, participants must reserve a space. The work itself, however, is an immediate event. Spectators see paintings emerge from the sidewalk in a matter of hours.
While the sidewalk art is the main attraction, the festival is more than just an art contest. It is a chance for everyone to play - not just chalk artists.
Demonstrations, children's activities, food stands and information booths fill Forsyth Park in celebration. There is also a free outdoor concert for music fans.
Activities begin at 11 a.m. April 29. The festival itself last until 5 p.m. Then Forsyth fills again for the music concert from 8 to 10 p.m.
Since the Sidewalk Arts Festival began in 1981, it has grown every year. Last year, more than 17,000 people attended the festival. This year, the Savannah College of Art and Design expects even more attendants.
Originally, sidewalks adjacent to Poetter Hall were more than sufficient. The next year, Madison Square provided canvass space. After two years in the Savannah Visitor's Center parking lot, the Sidewalk Arts Festival finally found its home in Forsyth Park in 1995.
For more information on the Sidewalk Arts Festival, call 525-5850.
Christina Taylor can be reached at 525-5500 or by e-mail at cbtaylor@georgiaguardian.com.
Also see:
Sidewalk Arts 1999
Sidewalk Arts 1998 photograph
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