History: Then and Now by local bands and professional sword swallower Johnny Fox. The children’s magic camp, Camp Cigma, also performed at various points throughout the festival, as did various poets, dancers and models. The festival was beginning to really engage with the local community. 2010 was a big turning point, with the festival becoming the first international-streetpainting festival in the United States. By now, it had evolved into its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and with more than 250 artists in attendance, it was fast becoming an important fixture in the annual events calendar of Sarasota. That year, three artists created oversized 3D street paintings. The street painting group, Art After Hours, created a giant 20-foot-by40-foot skullduggery; Tracy Lee Stum from California created an interactive “Mousetrap” that measured a whopping 60 feet by 30 feet with a two-point perspective; and German artist Edgar Mueller created the first photoluminescent street painting containing dual imagery with a massive 100-foot-by-40-foot piece that showed a giant by day and a fetus by night. The 2010 festival was met with such positivity that the city of Sarasota requested that roads remain open after the festival to give the public a chance to view the finished works for one more day. The 2011 festival focused on “Pavement Art Through the Ages” and attracted
a whopping 200,000 visitors to downtown Sarasota, giving the local economy a boost of $6 million to $10 million. With more than 500 artists participating, the festival was the most important contemporary street painting venue in the world. That year saw Leon Keer and a crew from Planet Street Painting create a giant 3D chalk representation of China’s terracotta army with LEGO. Artist Michael Kirby created the first chalk opera “set” for Sarasota Opera to perform “Madame Butterfly.” Artists with Art After Hours created the first augmented reality street painting with hummingbirds suspended above visitors sitting within the artwork. Lectures and workshops were performed by the world-renowned innovator of 3D pavement art, Kurt Wenner. Melanie Stimmel created a mermaid sanctuary, while artist Kumpa Twornprom provided live mermaids. That was also the year the festival went
{ 10 } 2012 Sarasota Chalk Festival | VISIT CHALKFESTIVAL.ORG