35th annual Chalk Festival at the Cleveland Museum of Art
Artists of all ages and abilities are invited to participate in the 2024 Chalk Festival at the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) on Saturday, September 14, and Sunday, September 15, noon–5 PM, rain or shine. This annual event, started in 1990, features sidewalk artistry by professional chalk artists and local community groups, families, and individuals, making the CMA’s south plaza and walkways through the Fine Arts Garden and Wade Lagoon come alive with color.
The Chalk Festival is a modern expression of a Renaissance tradition from 16th-century Italy in which artists copied paintings of the Madonna by Raphael and his contemporaries using chalk on the plazas outside cathedrals. This year’s Chalk Festival features artists John G., Ke Gray, Danté Rodriguez, Lacy Talley, Rafael Valdivieso, and a selection of Cleveland Institute of Art illustration students. Artist and disability rights advocate John G. provides representation for how the event is accessible for those with limited mobility. Guests can engage with all artists to learn about their work.
Everyone can participate in the Chalk Festival! To chalk your own creation, visit the registration tent in the Fine Arts Garden to purchase your pavement square. Chalk pastels suitable for the museum’s pavement are included in the purchase. Accessible spaces are available for those using wheelchairs or with limited mobility.
$15 small square (includes a 12-count box of chalk pastels)
$20 large square (includes a 24-count box of chalk pastels)
No reservations will be taken. The Chalk Festival is free to visitors wishing to enjoy the artists’ work and listen to live outdoor music provided by Ropa Vieja. Food trucks are available at the bottom of the Fine Arts Garden, and the museum café is open during the festival.
Free and accessible to all ages and abilities.