May 3-4, 2008  - Visit Mount Vernon on Saturday & Sunday, May 3 & 4 for Iowa’s largest-ever Madonnari Festival. Titled Chalk the Walk, the two-day festival will present the work of more than 200 hundred artists utilizing a downtown city street as a canvas and more than a half-ton of chalk.

Chalk the Walk is based on an original art form that began in Italy in the 16th century. Called Madonnari, this form of public art was originally done by street artists hoping to collect coins from passersby. Images back then were based on religious themes, and as the Madonna was a popular subject, the artists became known as the “Madonnari.”

Co-sponsors of the event hire a professional Madonnari artist who creates a 12’ by 12’ chalk recreation of an Italian Renaissance painting. In addition, several other professional artists will be creating 10’ by 12’ chalk images. Event producers are also utilizing hundreds of local people to create a massive 3000+-square-foot recreation of a famous painting. Each person will be responsible for creating a single 2’ by 2’ square of the famous painting, and when finished, the chalk drawing will appear as a giant quilt, colored with pastel chalk by artists of all abilities.

If you are interested in being a participating artist for Chalk the Walk, please download the 2008 Artist Application

If you are interested in purchasing a square to paint, please download the 2008 Grid Artist Application

Forms and information can also be viewed on the Mount Vernon Parks and Recreation Department web site.

For questions, contact Craig Wilson, Mount Vernon Parks and Recreation Director  (319) 895-9513  This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it