EVENT: CHALK URBAN ART FESTIVAL
PREVIEW BY LACHLAN JOBBINS
From Thursday 3rd to Sunday 7th of September, Darling Harbour is the venue for the fourth annual Chalk Urban Art Festival. The program features chalk art, music, street theatre, graffiti, workshops, performance poetry, wearable art and urban fashion.
In Tumbalong Park, 40 chalk artists will create their own unique works in competition for the title of Champion Pavement Artist 2008. The winner, chosen by a panel of judges, takes home $5000 in prize money. There is also a People’s Choice Award.
Expect the unexpected as you walk the line of works in progress. Last year, guest artist Jenny McKracken was set the task of decorating the body of a car, creating a work of art on wheels.
There are artists working in ‘urban’ themes of graffiti and street art, but others explore everything from migration and family history to wildlife, the human body and mythology.
You can meet the artists and watch them work, and take part by making your own mark on the giant chalkboard snake. Artery Gallery and Collective will be creating visual art from recycled materials throughout the weekend, and works by the competing chalk artists and the collective will be available for sale.
But the art doesn’t stop with chalk. This year’s festival incorporates ‘wearable art’. If there’s no room on your walls, how about your wardrobe’ Urban fashion stalls will feature truly edgy clothing, with designers hand picked by Ashan Winslow from the Australian Fashion Exchange.
This won’t be your typical market clothing ‘ organisers promise it will be ‘distinctive, different and truly urban’. Fashion parades and stalls run on Saturday and Sunday, culminating in the Wearable Art Showcase at 3pm on Sunday.
The Urban Blog puts words on the stage, with public forums on ‘graffiti as an art form’ and ‘street art vs. contemporary art’, spoken word from Tug Dumbly, Bravo Child and a swag of performance poets, and live art demonstrations from Artery Gallery and Justin Feuerring.
It’s a full weekend of art, music, fashion, street theatre, food, workshops and wearable art, and it all ends with Sunday’s announcement of Champion Pavement Artist of the year.
Chalk Urban Art Festival
September 4-7, 10am-5pm
Tumbalong Park and the Chinese Gardens, Darling Harbour
FREE
www.chalkurbanart.com
