Community Chalk Art Festival

Presented by Gateway Orlando Arts in partnership with Halifax Health Hospice and the Community Improvement Initiative

Event Date: Saturday March 30 2019 Location: Gateway Village

Time: 10 AM – 5 PM 5463 Gateway Village Circle 32812
Contact: Susan Wilcox Email:chair@gatewayorlando.org

Background
Overall the Orlando area has much to offer in terms of art and culture; however in East Orlando there is a scarcity of exposure of opportunities to engage with the arts and to experience cultural enrichment. Roughly one third of the population is considered minorities, with Hispanic/Latino being predominant. The average annual income in this area is $32,841 and the educational attainment level is 80% with high school diplomas and 20% with college degrees. Furthermore, of these households, over 16% are single females with no husband present and have an average annual income of $21,000. Additionally, of the total population, over 25% are children under the age of 18 years old. This data is derived from the 2010 CDP for the Azalea Park zip code of 32807.
Event Description
Keeping these facts in mind, we are proposing a community building event that will allow our residents to experience art as it emerges. This cultural event is called “Faces and Places of the World” and is designed to enhance understanding and appreciation of our community’s diversity, while simultaneously providing exposure to the arts. This form of performance art began in 16th century Italy with itinerant artists, many of whom had been brought into the cities to work on the huge cathedrals. When the work was done, they would often recreate the paintings of the Madonna onto the pavement. They became known as I Madonnari. The creation of a large and intricate chalk painting may take hours or days to complete, only to be gone after the next rain. The artists will tell you that the process is more important than the finished piece and that spectators are a vital part of the performance as they

Funded by Orlando, FL (January 2019)