Albany Museum of Art’s annual chalk festival brings out a large crowd of artists, spectators

ALBANY — Chalk artists, local art and food vendors, friends and families gathered on Saturday outside of the Albany Museum of Art for The Heart of Albany Festival.

The sounds of chalk on pavement were coupled with performances from local musicians including local high school singer-songwriter Brilynn Nevaeh, Cliff Corr and Aaron Lee from Songwriters in The Row.

The festival, previously known as “ChalkFest” is the museum’s annual gift to the city as attendees can celebrate art and community for free. It hosts professional artists from the Chalk Artists Guild and gives everyone a chance to create unique chalk pieces.

Chloe Hinton, AMA’s development director, said the museum rebranded the festival to better encompass all of the artists who participate. Not only are there chalk artists, but also glass blowers, steam roller printing and painters.

While the chalk artists are the focal point, the museum staff hopes to continue bringing different types of artists year after year, Hinton said.

“It’s our job to bring the art of the south to the world and the art of the world to the south, and we want to showcase that as best as possible to the community,” she said.

This year’s event showcased nine professional artists — most recurring and members from Georgia’s Chalk Artist Guild.

The festival also makes space for amateur artists, school and community groups as well as blocks for individuals. Chalk competitions are separated by age group.

Each chalk artist knelt down in their individual blocks with knee pads on and chalk in hand as they intently worked at their masterpieces. Many had reference photos as inspiration, while some worked from their head.

As the hours went by, their chalk depictions began to take shape.

Trinity Nottage, an Albany State University visual arts student, attends the festival each year. She’s been an artist for as long as she could hold a crayon, she said.

“I took the prompt of loving art very literally this year,” Nottage said.

She carefully scribbled away at a colorful piece depicting a heart pierced by art supplies, trickling with paint blood.

Nottage loves attending the festival because it’s fun and also helps her artist resume. She’s watched it grow each year and was happy with this year’s turnout, she said.

Fawne DeRosia is an artist with the Georgia Chalk Artists Guild. She traveled from Thomaston to attend the festival for the fifth year in a row. The guild, DeRosia said, is like a family.

“At the AMA, we always know we’re gonna get taken care of,” she said.

DeRosia attends many chalk festivals, but she likes that Albany’s is close to home, she said.

The opportunity to create her piece, live and with spectators, is a great way to help artists get out of a self conscious head space, DeRosia said. It’s a challenge she welcomes and enjoys. When people walk by and give compliments it builds confidence.

“Especially when you have a little kid walk by and say ‘wow!’” she said.

On Saturday, she worked on a black and white portrait of Howard Finster, a Georgia folk artist, who DeRosia called her art hero.

“He had a calling to create art and just did it,” she said. “Not for fame and fortune. It really inspires me.”

By 11:30, half her piece was carefully completed, with half of Finster’s face drawn with a black and white depth.

This was the first year the AMA had the festival in front of the museum, which DeRosia said she liked.

The festival was held downtown previously, which the development director said the museum staff loved as it brought people downtown to other local businesses. The museum will eventually move to a space downtown as well so it was great for the festival to happen next to the museum’s future neighbors, Hinton said.

This year, they decided to bring it home to show off some of the exhibitions the museum has on display currently, she said.

Next to the row of professional artists, were more colorful squares of chalk art. Groups of kids crouched together with bright pieces of chalk scattered around them. Their tiny hands drew large, vivid pieces ranging from ice cream cones, to eyes to bandaged hearts.

Dracodi Vaughn, Live Oak Elementary’s art teacher, was at the festival with three of his students from his art club. He stood over the students, giving helpful directions on spots to fill and lines to fix.

“It doesn’t have to be perfect,” he told them.

The students’ friends and family stood by and watched with smiles on their faces. They snapped photos as the kids worked hard on their piece.

Vaughn likes to attend the festival to support his students and their interest in art. His art club meets once a week and practices all different mediums of art.

The students range from ages nine to 11. The AMA festival brings awareness to art and provides an outlet for kids, he said.

“There’s not always a lot of activities available in Albany,” Vaughn said. “This gives the kids something to do.”

Accessibility is one of AMA’s priorities, Hinton said. In “ChalkFest’s” early years, people had to pay to attend. This year’s festival is free thanks to local sponsors and partners such as Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, Flint Community Bank, the Webstaurant Store, Vine Vision and more.

“There are so many groups trying to provide worthwhile activities for the community and this is our way to do that — to give back to the community,” Hinton said.

“So many community members try to use the tools at their disposal to give back to the community, and The Heart of Albany Festival is how we use ours,” she said.

As of mid-afternoon attendance was estimated at more than 1,000. Last year the festival drew about 2,500 and final numbers for 2023 were not yet available.

Staff Photo: Lucille Flannigan[email protected]
Staff Photo: Lucille Lannigan[email protected]

Staff Photo: Lucille Lannigan[email protected]