Professional artists, Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA) students, and casual creators alike will be covering the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) South Plaza and the Fine Arts Garden and Wade Lagoon walkways with colorful creations this weekend at CMA’s 35th Annual Chalk Festival.

This year’s festival runs Saturday, Sep. 14 and Sunday, Sep. 15, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., rain or shine.

The Chalk Festival was started in 1990 and features sidewalk artistry by professional chalk artists and local community groups, families, and individuals—a modern expression of a Renaissance tradition from 16th Century Italy in which artists copied paintings of the Madonna by Italian painter and architect Raphael and his contemporaries using chalk on the plazas outside cathedrals.

Cleveland Chalk Festival 2023Local artists John G., Ke Gray, Danté Rodriguez, Lacy Talley, Rafael Valdivieso, and a selection of CIA illustration students will be showcasing their talents alongside the public.

“Rafael Valdivieso has mural at the CMA Community Arts Center [on West 25th Street] and Danté Rodriguez works for the Art Museum,” says Jordan Jiménez, CMA assistant director of community outreach. “Lacy Talley is an artist who does positive affirmation work, and Ke Gray is a CIA graduate, and this is her first time at the Chalk Festival.”

John G., a disability rights advocate, will provide representation for how the event is accessible for those with limited mobility. Guests can engage with all artists to learn about their work.

The festival is open to anyone with some chalk, however. Attendees just need to visit the registration tent in the Fine Arts Garden to purchase a pavement square, which comes with chalk pastels suitable for the museum’s pavement.

Cleveland Chalk Festival 2023Accessible spaces are available for those using wheelchairs or with limited mobility.

Costs are $15 for a small square and a 12-count box of chalk pastels; or $20 for a large square and a 24-count box of chalk pastels. Reservations will not be accepted.

“I’m so excited to see what everyone creates,” says Jiménez. “It’s always something new.”

The Chalk Festival is free to visitors who just want to enjoy the artists’ work and listen to live outdoor music by Ropa Vieja. Food trucks will be at the bottom of the Fine Arts Garden and the museum café will open during the festival.

Jiménez says there are plenty of ways to prepare for the chalk festival and to find inspiration.

“I think they should be ready to explore the [experience] of working with chalk,” she says. “Visit the museum ahead of time—we’re open late on Fridays and we’ll be open before the festival. There’s always something new—our exhibits change all the time—so there’s something for everyone.”