Chalk Festival to feature artists working with an alternate media – flowers and sand
VENICE – For the 15th edition of the Chalk Festival its founder, Denise Kowal, is bringing flowers – specifically carpets of flowers created by artists using flowers, sand and other materials – as part of art forms known as “Infiorata” and “Rangoli.”
Kowal "has studied the ephemeral carpet artform and purpose in different cultures for many years,” Chalk Festival managing director Bill Baranowski said in a prepared statement. “She’s traveled to infiorata festivals in Italy and Brussels, and seen rangoli artists in India. We are thrilled to be the first festival in the U.S. to introduce patrons to this particular art.”
Related: Chalk Festival returns to Venice
Kowal, through the nonprofit, Avenida de Colores, has brought pavement artists from more than 30 countries around the world to Sarasota and Venice since 2007.
Just as pavement art is available for a short period of time, the art created through “Floralia Infiorata,” is temporary.
Chalk Festival leaders believe this year’s festival, scheduled for Oct. 28-31 at the Venice Municipal Airport festival grounds, 610 Airport Ave. E., is the first time art lovers in North America will be able to view the floral art creations.
Because of the time of year, the festival is billed as a “spirited museum in motion.”
Artists arrive before the festival opening and patrons can watch them create their art throughout the four-day event.
Avenida de Colores is bringing in artists from Italy, Spain, India and Mexico.
Eduardo Carbone from Argentina, an international researcher and broadcaster specializing in ephemeral carpets, was hired by Kowal to serve as the coordinating director of the 2022 Floralia Infiorata.
“Floralia Infiorata promises to be a great artistic manifestation with devotional origins in the Baroque period,” Carbone said in a prepared statement. “It will be a meeting point for different cultures that, in a very particular and unique way, use flowers, sawdust, sand and other natural materials to create what is recognized as flower carpets, ‘Infiorata’ in Italian and ‘Rangoli’ in India, and its derivative ‘ephemeral carpets.’”
Two-dimensional and three-dimensional pavement art, hallmarks of the 15-year-old festival, are created, as are three-dimensional immersion rooms. Selfies – especially with the three-dimensional art – are highly encouraged.
COVID-19 pandemic restrictions forced the cancellation of the festival in Venice for two straight years.
During that time period, Kowal was able to stage alternative events, including an indoor three-dimensional museum and creation of the Avenue of Art, a series of sidewalk art pieces in the Burns Court area of Sarasota that highlighted the history of Sarasota County.
Earlier: Avenue of Art: artists provide walking tour of Sarasota's history
The festival returned to Venice for three day in April, with the October Chalk Festival an encore, with the added bonus of the floral artists.
The Pavement Music Festival, featuring local musicians; food trucks and vendors also return.
A sculpture field with hand-made zombies and daily pumpkin carving contests also highlight the Chalk Festival.
Parking is free. Tickets are available at a variety of price points, based on the number of days and ages. Children younger than age 5 are free.
A four-day adult pass is $40.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.chalkfestival.org.
Earle Kimel primarily covers south Sarasota County for the Herald-Tribune and can be reached at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription to the Herald-Tribune.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Chalk Festival in Venice will add artists working with flowers, sand
