About Street Painting Festival

The 2007 Street Painting Festival

This fundraiser is organized and hosted by the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge, and all proceeds are used to fund scholarships for students at Roane State Community College.

WHAT: A unique, fun, art-filled community event that has been held annually by the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge since 2000. Fantastic art unfolds on the sidewalks while musicians play, children frolic and adults enjoy! The Festival is now in its seventh year.

WHEN: On Saturday, Oct. 20 and Sunday, Oct. 21, 2005. Artists have from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Saturday, and 1:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Sunday to work on their chalk drawings. The public is invited to view this art as it develops throughout the day. Finished art will be judged between 3:00 and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, and artist awards will be announced at 5:00 p.m.

WHERE:The Street Painting Festival will be held on the sidewalks of the Oak Ridge Branch Campus, Roane State Community College, 701 Briarcliff Avenue, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

COSTS: Free to the public, and all supplies will be furnished at no cost to the participating artists.

WHAT SPONSORS DO: Festival Sponsors purchase sidewalk squares with a tax-deductible contribution to the Roane State Foundation.

Sponsors may provide their own artist to chalk their square or they may ask the Rotary Club to provide them with an artist.

WHAT ARTISTS DO: Those agreeing to serve as artists are matched with sponsors who choose not to provide their art. In advance of the festival, artists receive chalking instructions and are invited to view a demonstration of chalking techniques. Artists then provide the design for their sponsor's square and complete the artwork by 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21.

ARTIST QUALIFICATIONS: Artists of all ages and all skill levels are invited to participate. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, youth groups, high school and college students, want-to-be-artists and, of course, professional artists are all welcome!

Major External Fundraisers Can Be Fun Events For The Community

Many Rotary clubs have a major community service event.

Polio Plus was a major fundraiser for the Oak Ridge club but it was for international service. The goal of Polio Plus is to eliminate the crippling disease of polio throughout the world.

Eight years ago, the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge held an auction for the Oak Ridge Girls Club, which was a successful fundraiser for community service but was internal to the club.

 The 1999-2000 board of our club agreed to sponsor an annual Street Painting Festival as an external fundraiser that could benefit the community, promote economic growth, and provide enjoyment for both young and old.

• First street painting was in Europe, in 16th-century Italy
• First international street painting competition was in 1972 in Grazie di Curtatone, Italy
• Since 1980 the art form has rapidly exploded, as true folk artists use basic materials to create "madonnarps

"STREET PAINTING FESTIVALS IN THE USA ... ANNUAL EVENTS

Street painting festivals in Lake Worth, after 8 years

Over 200 street paintings are sponsored by businesses, organizations, and individuals.

Children of all ages create street paintings in the children's meadow.