European Splendors, Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces that will be on exhibition at the Albany Museum of Art, will be the inspiration for works created by professional chalk artists at AMA ChalkFest on Nov 13, 2021. The AMA exhibition of masterworks from the Columbia Museum of Art’s Kress Collection opens Aug 26 and continues through Christmas.

“We are excited to create synergy between this fabulous exhibition at our museum and this wonderful gathering that is returning to downtown Albany, our future home,” AMA Executive Director Andrew J. Wulf, Ph.D., said. “Having seen the marvelous works these talented professional chalk artists have created at previous ChalkFests, we are eager to see their grand interpretations of classic masterworks.”

Chalk artists can re-create one of the artworks in the European Splendors exhibition, or opt to reimagine any masterwork from the Renaissance or Baroque eras.

Applications for professional chalk artists who want to participate in AMA ChalkFest 2021 will be live on the festival website, www.amachalkfest.com, on Thursday, June 10, 2021.  The artists will compete for a cash prize award for Best of Show, which will be announced at the end of the festival.

 Professional chalk artists from Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Texas have competed in previous ChalkFests. Best of Show winners were Heather Caps of Fayetteville, Ga., in 2018, and Jennifer Richardson and Joel Norris, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., in 2019. (Because of the COVID pandemic, the 2020 festival was conducted as a virtual event.)

Professional chalk artists will create their masterpieces on 50-square-foot sections of street pavement while festival-goers watch. As with previous ChalkFests, the event will include live music, libation stations, food trucks and vendors.

ChalkFest also will have opportunities for amateur artists of all ages, as well as schools and organizations, to be involved in creative ways, including chalk art contests.

“We attracted more than 4,000 people to downtown Albany at the last live ChalkFest in 2019,” Wulf observed. “We are expecting another big crowd this year. This is truly a community event, and one that lives up to our ambition to bring the art of the world to South Georgia, and the art of South Georgia to the world.”

Details will be released soon regarding sponsorship opportunities, as well as how to sign up to be a vendor, entertainer or volunteer.