Most kids know that a bucket of chalk and a blank sidewalk can make for an afternoon well spent, so it makes sense that the Orcutt Children’s Art Foundation (OCAF), a local nonprofit that seeks to supplement local art education in schools, is inviting parents and kids to do their finest chalk-work on the streets of Old Orcutt for its third annual celebration of community art-making.
Inspired by the I Madonnari Chalk Festival started decades ago in Santa Barbara, the OCAF Chalk Festival is a daylong celebration of the arts. The festivities include, of course, street art by local artists, amateurs, and students, but also live entertainment, a fine art show, many local vendors, and activities for all ages, explained OCAF executive director Hannah Rubalcava.
“The Chalk Festival is a fundraiser, but it’s not a huge one,” Rubalcava said. “It’s more based on getting the community out and engaged in art.”
Professional artists will arrive early to the event and get a head start on the beautiful, intricate chalk paintings that the festival is known for. These pieces, often sponsored by local businesses or organizations, are the cornerstones of the event, which also includes plenty of space for young children, teens, and adults to create their own vibrant work of art.
“It really lights up the street, and it’s fun to watch all the kids working side by side with adults, because maybe they don’t often create with their parents,” Rubalcava said. “It’s fun to see the kids excited, all covered in chalk.”
For a donation of $10, kids can enjoy a PasspARTS to the festival, which includes a bucket of chalk, a space of pavement, and a punch card good for art demonstrations, activities, and workshops happening throughout the day.
“We have someone doing a workshop on dance, one on chalk pastels, paint mediums, there are a few others,” Rubalcava said. “The Santa Maria Council PTA is also hosting a Reflections art contest, it’s a national art contest for kids.”
The only rules restricting the creativity of the chalk artists are to keep each piece family friendly and to shy away from pieces that primarily feature lettering, a logo, or a political message. The plethora of bright, vibrant chalk art creations gains momentum as the day goes on, with locals able to join in the art making until around 5 p.m.
“I think what makes this such a fun event is that it really is a local community and family event,” Rubalcava said. “Anyone can come and enjoy it for five minutes or the whole day; it’s totally free to come and enjoy.”
Founded in 2002, OCAF is responsible for several hours a week of arts education in local schools for kindergarten through sixth grade, as well as competitive arts grants for classroom art projects, support of local music programs, and an Arts Academy for when school is out of session. Funds raised during the Chalk Festival help defray costs for most of OCAF’s programs, which help keep kids creating year round.
“There is no other subject that is going to teach kids to think creatively,” Rubalcava said. “Besides the aesthetics, art offers kids a skill set they can’t get anywhere else, and it’s important that we teach it, because they love it.”
The OCAF Chalk Festival, while highlighting the visual arts, is really a celebration of all art forms, Rubalcava explained. The live entertainment will include local dancers, musicians, and other performing artists.
“The arts are under funded in schools; however, I think there is an upswing: I think people are realizing the importance of arts education,” she said. “We just need to raise more awareness and we need more people advocating for the arts.”
Advocating, Rubalcava explained, could be anything as simple as attending a school board meeting and voicing support for arts programs, or painting a square of street in the upcoming Chalk Festival.
Arts Editor Joe Payne is down to get dusty. Contact him at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Sep 18-25, 2014.