BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — More than 100 artists are turning a parking lot at the Marketplace on Ming Avenue into a walk-through chalk gallery for Via Arté, Bakersfield's Italian street painting festival.
The free, two-day event runs Saturday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 18, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Ticket reservations are available at viaartebakersfield.com. Members of the public can also participate by purchasing a 2-by-2-foot chalk space, with chalk included.
Professional artists and high school students alike will create classic, contemporary, and original works, some measuring more than a dozen feet across, while the public is able to watch the masterpieces develop in real time.
"Painters would come create their art on the pavement, which is something that would have been inaccessible for your average everyday working person. We've brought that forward today and turned it into the museum's largest annual fundraiser."
Lauren Marty, marketing and communications manager for the Bakersfield Museum of Art, said.
Proceeds from the event support the museum's exhibitions, art education and community programs.
This year, 22 high school teams will compete in addition to featured artist Anitta Meza. Meza got her start in the student competition 13 years ago and is now creating a 12-by-15-foot piece of her own.
Her inspiration comes from a deeply personal place. The words at the heart of her piece came from her aunt, who is battling stage-four thyroid cancer; an experience that also helped shape her glow-in-the-dark artistic style.
Her new piece is still taking shape and will light up under blacklight Sunday night.
"You have so much talent. Don't stop there when my life is about to stop. I'm going to keep fighting for mine. You fight your own talents, and we'll support from there." Meza said.
She hopes the festival moves others the same way it has moved her.
"Just come, get inspired. Maybe it will spark yours too in order to glow or to get connected with the community." Meza said.
Via Arté runs Saturday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 18, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Marketplace on Ming Avenue in Bakersfield. Admission is free. Ticket reservations and more information are available at viaartebakersfield.com. Additional event details can also be found on our website.
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