Heroes is the theme for the 5^th annual Albany Museum of Art ChalkFest festival, which returns to downtown Albany on Saturday, Nov 19, 2022. 

This year’s festival will be at a new downtown location—the 200 block of South Front Street at the Albany Civic Center, where AMA ChalkFest will incorporate the Veterans Park Amphitheater and grounds. Previously, ChalkFest has been held in the 100 block of Pine Avenue.

Admission will be free again this year. 

“This year’s theme, Heroes, references our fall exhibition in the Haley Gallery, Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice,” AMA Executive Director Andrew J. Wulf, Ph.D., said. “This important exhibition is organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum from more than 1,000 works by Johnson that were given to the Smithsonian by the Harmon Foundation.

“Johnson painted the series in the mid-1940s as a tribute to both famous and less well-known people who worked to bring peace to the world. He celebrated these fighters, including Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, Marian Anderson, and Mahatma Gandhi, while acknowledging the racism, violence, and oppression they overcame in reaching their achievements.” 

Professional chalk artists from Georgia, Florida, and other states will be challenged to create their own interpretations of Heroes on 50-square-foot sections of pavement while festival-goers watch the art come to life. Amateur school and community artists and teams also will be tackling the theme on the Front Street pavement.

In addition to the chalk art, AMA ChalkFest again will feature live music, food trucks, craft beer and other libation stations, and vendors selling art, crafts, and other items. There also will be a family activity area with games and activities for kids and their families.

“With the event coming on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, ChalkFest will be the perfect opportunity to enjoy a beautiful fall Saturday of art and music by the Flint River before the big Christmas rush gets underway,” Chloe Hinton, director of development and membership for the AMA, said. “Plus, many of the vendors on hand will have unique gift ideas if you do want to get an early start on your stocking list.” 

Hinton said the new location has advantages that organizers believe will enhance the experience for festival-goers. 

“The amphitheater already has a wonderful performance stage with a comfortable seating area for guests who want to enjoy the bands and entertainers,” Hinton said. “Also, parking won’t be an issue because our guests can use the Civic Center parking lot next to the festival area.

“Everything from the artists to the music to the vendors will be easily accessible, and the crowd-friendly layout of the location will make for an even better experience for everyone.” 

ChalkFest attracted more than 2,500 people when it returned as a live event in 2021. The 2020 festival was conducted as a virtual event because of the pandemic. 

“We hope to have another good turnout of students, teams, and individuals signing up for the amateur art blocks,” Annie Vanoteghem, director of education and public programming for the AMA, said. “There Is no cost to participate, but we have a limited number of spaces available, so I encourage everyone to register early.”

Applications are being accepted for professional artists, community artists, food trucks, and vendors who would like to participate. Links for applications may be found at www.amachalkfest.com. 

AMA EXHIBITIONS 

n  Homecoming, which features works from the Albany Museum of Art Permanent Collection, is in all galleries May 12-Aug 13, 2022.