INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — While most people have probably at least chalked a hopscotch board on the sidewalk, the artists who participated in an inaugural Chalk Art Festival Saturday afternoon at the Indian River Mall, turn pavements into outdoor museums.
The inventive event, which took place in a parking area at the Indian River Mall, was a collaborative benefit to raise funds and awareness for SunUp ARC and the Treasure Coast Community Health Foundation.
Professional artists converged on Vero early in the morning to begin preparing their spots – taping and priming and readying their chalks. They follow the tradition of the original “madonnari” artists who created the art form in 16th Century Renaissance Italy, traveling from place to place and using the pavement as their canvas.
The professionals were joined by and eager to help local students, SunUp ARC clients and even passersby who wanted to attempt their own masterpieces.
Painting on various sized “canvasses” according to their skill level, the creative process and public interaction seemed as highly valued as their imaginative but temporary works.
“You just get hooked,” said Janet Tombros, an Orlando chalk artist. “You get to these festivals and it makes you want to go to more and more. If people are enjoying it, it gets our energy going.”
“There are about 150 or 200 street artists, and every one of us has a different technique,” said Michael LaCastas. “I love the camaraderie of it; we meet up in different parts of the country.”
Storm Grove Middle School art teacher Lori Barbato brought five of her students for their first chalk-art experience, and students from Beachland Elementary, Osceola Magnet, Liberty Magnet, Sebastian Elementary and Treasure Coast Elementary also participated.
Nine-year-old Kevin Hawkins, a student at St. Helen’s, created two works, including a most impressive Pegasus.
“He’s into it; he draws in the driveway,” said his father [also] Kevin Hawkins. “I don’t know where he got the talent for it; certainly not me. I put him in the Museum all summer and he loved it.”
“I’d never seen it done in this community,” said Chuck Bradley, SunUp ARC executive director, of the chalk art concept. “We thought it was a novel and unique thing to do. The professional artists are amazing, and the kids that showed up are doing some fantastic stuff.”
Eyes were mostly trained downward, watching the masterpieces unfold, but face painting by Judy Sullivan, of Riverside Church in Sebastian was a popular diversion. Artisan booths sold artwork and jewelry, and a few people brought camp chairs to sit and listen to the great sounds of the River Rats Band.
Proceeds will help cover the added costs of special care services for the dental and eye exams of SunUp ARC clients at TCCH.
“These people have extraordinary health issues,” said TCCH Foundation volunteer Laura Allen. “They get agitated quite easily and need to be sedated to have work done on their teeth.”
SunUp and ARC merged earlier this year, and now care for 180 individuals with developmental disabilities in campuses in Vero and Sebastian, plus four group homes housing 19 individuals.
“Sedation is a big issue; it’s hard to get some of them to sit in a chair for a long period,” said Bradley. “A lot of the developmentally disabled are illiterate, and so it’s hard to get an accurate reading for an eye exam.”
Although this particular event was mainly geared toward raising awareness of the two organizations, the hope is to eventually fund a laser machine which can give precise eye exams.
Treasure Coast Community Health relies primarily on its Foundation to enable them to provide low-cost healthcare to the 12 percent of the population who utilize their patient services.
The next big TCCH Foundation fundraiser is the Great Duck Derby, scheduled for May 19 at Captain Hiram’s. Take a chance on a cute yellow rubber ducky for $5, and if your duck comes in first out of the 10 thousand ducks dropped into the water, you win $5,000.
