Chalking Up Success

It's a sight to behold: more than 600 talented artists turning city streets into works of art - with just a handful of chalk.

Welcome to the 25th Annual Lake Worth Street Painting Festival, which unfolds Feb. 23 & 24 in downtown Lake Worth.

"Watch as artists, using chalk as their brush and the pavement as canvas, turn the downtown streets into a temporary gallery of art, creating a diverse variety of large-scale traditional, contemporary and 3D illusionist paintings on the street," notes the event's website.

The event - a nod to 16th century Italy, where artists transformed pavement into works of art - is the world's largest free festival of its kind. Artists come from as far as California. Also featured will be the Young Artist Studio, showcasing the work of elementary, middle and high school students from more than 25 South Florida schools.

But don't look for any prizes at this event.

"It's a performance art exhibition - not a competition. Everyone is a winner!" notes the event's website.

To add to the ambiance, there will be continuous live music on the festival's mainstage at the Cultural Plaza, such as R&B, jazz, blues and hip-hop. Guests can enjoy festival food as well.

The Lake Worth Street Painting Festival is a nonprofit organization, and proceeds are used to produce the event, award art scholarships to graduating high school students in Palm Beach County and create community projects associated with the arts.

So what happens if it rains? A succinct quip on the website explains: "Everything gets wet." O

For more information, visit streetpaintingfestivalinc.org.