Sign up by May 1 for Paint the Pavement Chalk Fest at St. Charles Fine Art Show

Hoping to turn the First Street Plaza into a gallery of fantastic chalk art "Paint the Pavement-A Chalk Fest" is coming May 25-26. They welcome interested chalk artists to apply before Wednesday, May 1.

Artists interested in participating in Paint the Pavement can find more information at www.downtownstcharles.org or find the free application at fas-paint-the-pavement.eventbrite.com.

Located on First Street and in the First Street Plaza, this outdoor chalk art festival features artists that spend two days on their hands and knees creating beautiful pieces of art on the pavement, only to have them washed away by time and the elements.

Fine Art Show committee member Chris Prieve said she hopes that the show will grow this year.

"In 2018, we were 'small but mighty' and received much positive community and business feedback," Prieve said. "A boost in the numbers of artists would be fantastic because we had amazing works of art made during last year's Paint the Pavement. I envision a First Street Plaza full of incredible and colorful chalk art this year."

While there will be professionals that come to display their skills, Paint the Pavement is open to all skill levels.

Artists, organizations or local businesses can select a square to chalk and will be provided with a box of 48 chalk pastels. Prieve said this is a great chance for artists who may not ever have dabbled in the chalk medium to get their name out, demonstrate their creativity and have a lot of fun.

"We want to give professionals, students and emerging artists a new platform to help launch themselves to more opportunities," Prieve said.

There also are opportunities for businesses to get involved by sponsoring artists. The Downtown St. Charles Partnership will pair artists with businesses, though there are a limited number of sponsorships. For more information, contact Laura Purdy at lpurdy@downtownstcharles.org

Paint the Pavement is part of the 21st annual St. Charles Fine Art Show, which features the juried work of 100 artists and attracts more than 30,000 art supporters from the Chicago area and beyond to see this award-winning show.

The St. Charles Fine Art Show and Paint the Pavement are presented by the Downtown St. Charles Partnership.