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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2021
10AM-3PM

The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance and the Town of Sahuarita are inviting artists to hit the pavement, with chalk that is. In one day, an amazing collection of chalk artists will bring the park pavement to colorful life in the third annual Sahuarita Chalk Art Festival. Attendees can watch professional artists create stunning murals in a variety of themes, or grab a piece of chalk at the Sahuarita Lake Park. 
SAACA supports this unique arts approach to expand opportunities for local artists to exhibit, develop and showcase their craft in the community, while giving youth and emerging artists the opportunity to participate in the arts in this creative and interactive way.   We believe that an investment in the arts and creativity, is an investment in your communities cultural assets and place. 

EVENT PARTNERS

FREE ADMISSION

There is no cost to attend the art festival.

LOCATION

Sahuarita Lake Park
15466 S. Rancho Sahuarita Blvd
Sahuarita, AZ 85629

Sahuarita Lake Park is a 15-acre park. The lake is part of the Urban Fishing Program. Surrounding the lake is a mile-long trail with fitness stations, picnic areas, benches, an amphitheater and public restrooms. The lake is not for swimming. No gas-powered engines are allowed - small watercraft only.

GET INVOLVED

​Signature Murals by Professional Artists
Each featured mural artist will create an original 6-by-6 foot piece in just 5 hours based on themes from the new Sahuarita Parks Coloring Book, featuring desert landscapes and wildlife, cultural inspirations, natural history and space. Professional artists will create magnificent works themed in culture, science, nature, botany, local nonprofits and more. 
Rachel Carpenter
@rachel_carpenter22
  • Mural Inspiration Theme: NORTH SANTA CRUZ PARK skate and play sports
  • "Growing up in school I wasn't much of an A student but I always felt like one when I was drawing. Even though I was self taught it was a nice way to escape into my own world were I felt like I was doing something right. As much as I like to draw I also love the chance to travel some where new."
Charlene Hardin
www.heartinarts.com
  • Mural Inspiration Theme: GILDED FLICKER nests in cactus
  • Charlene has been participating in chalk art festivals since 2008 and often shares the experience with her children who have grown to love the art.
Judith Gary
https://www.judithgary.com/
  • Mural Inspiration Theme: FARMING TRACTOR cultivates crops
  • Judith Arnaud Gary works in her home studio in Tucson, AZ. She’s been drawing and painting since childhood. She received her B.F.A. degree from the University of Arizona in 2002. Her creative repertoire includes acrylics, watercolors, pastels, color pencils, and graphite. “My art is influenced by the Sonoran desert where I was born and raised. My goal is to capture the spirit and energy of my surroundings, and in the process, give a part of myself to each creation.”
Alejandra Trujillo
atrujillo-art.com
  • Mural Inspiration Theme: CHILTEPIN wild and hot
  • Born in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico… Raised in Nogales, Arizona; I now make my home in Tucson, Arizona with my husband and our three beautiful children. I draw inspiration for my art from my Mexican culture, nature and the Sonoran desert. Tucson is the perfect community to nurture an artistic soul.
​Annmarie Perry
www.facebook.com/outofmymindperry
  • Mural Inspiration Theme: PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS watch it bloom
  • Annmarie has always been passionate about art. She opened her art business Out of My Mind in 2010. Annmarie travels to several states to show her work at the fairs. Some of her accomplishments include a mural for the Heart of Goodyear, She has been featured in the ASU magazine and on appeared on News Channels 3 and 8.
Eli Farias
https://elitheartist.com/
  • Mural Inspiration Theme: SAHUARITA LAKE PARK fish, paddle and pedal
  • My name is Anthony Farias but everyone knows me as “Eli.” I am an Artist but more than that I am a creative thinker who hopes to change the world and do some good here on this earth before my time is up. I became an artist to inspire the minds of the youth, invigorate our culture and give back a little beauty to this world. Over the years I have been Featured in various publications. Currently I am working on large oil and acrylic paintings on stretched canvases. The style of my work varies and changes depending on my mood and inspiration. Somedays it is energetic, loose, abstract and filled with emotion and other days its technical, planned, and masterfully created. I paint what I feel and if I feel the urge to paint or do something different in my creative process I usually take that opportunity. It’s through these explorations, these urges that lead to an end product I never envisioned. 
Rather Be Chalking
ratherbechalking.com
  • Mural Inspiration Theme: FOLKLORICO DANCERS festive
  • Our team loves to create fun chalk art! We have been chalking for 10 years!
Victor Navarro
https://victornavarroart.weebly.com/
  • Mural Inspiration Theme: SPIKE welcomes you (Sahuarita Parks & Rec Mascot, a friendly Saguaro name Spike)
  • ​Victor Navarro’s life has been defined by cultivating his overpowering artist expressions since the tender age of 15. After moving to the United States from Guadalajara, Mexico in 1998, Victor began nurturing his artistic inspiration into a passion. He graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and soon pursued a Master's Degree from Northern Arizona University. Following his university studies, Navarro soon began teaching art at Pima County College, Tucson Parks & Recreation and Splendido. In addition to his artistic work, Navarro contributes to the public appreciation of fine visual art by live painting, fundraisers, chalk art festivals, and other community engagement opportunities. Victor Navarro has received various awards, including the Silver Medal from Paris’ International Academy of Lutece, recognition from the Societe Nationales des Beaux Arts and the European Center for the Promotion of Arts and Literature, and at age 19, was one of the youngest artists to be invited to exhibit his artwork at the famed Louvre in Paris in the salon “Carrousel du Louvre”. ​
Community Participation Murals 
Community members are encouraged to create their own chalk art inspired by the day’s festivities. Participants can sign up at the event or pre-register to create their own signature mural onsite. Three community winners will be chosen at 2:30 PM in each of the following categories and recognized on social media and receive a $100 gift card.  
  • $100 - Best Sahuarita Landscape & Wildlife Mural
  • $100 - Best Sahuarita Parks Mural
  • ​$100 - Judges Choice Emerging Artist

CHALK ART TUTORIALS
Planets and Space Murals
Join Ian and Lea Ranking of Rather Be Chalking (Phoenix, AZ) for a video tutorial on making your own chalk murals at home! In this video, they walk you through creating a space mural using circular planets, a moon, and stars. Part 1 will teach you how to use everyday household items to create your planets and moons and part 2 will teach you lighting and color techniques. Have fun and make the mural your own!
TIPS:
1. Collect your chalks!
2. Draw the outline of your planet using a circular object (coffee can, yogurt lid) or a ruler spun around a mid-point.
3. Make a planetary ring starting from the back moving to the front.
4. Give depth to your ring by making the part closest to the viewer larger and the part furthest away smallest.
5. Pick your favorite colors! You'll want a light and dark version of two colors (such as purple and blue). You'll use these two colors to create depth in your lighting.
6. Smooth together the different layers with a foam pad or your fingers. 
7. Additional layers of each color help brighten the mural and make it pop off the ground. 
8. Blend in  white rings or spots to add depth. 
9. Add craters to your moon with a gray.
10. Remember to wear a hat, sunscreen, and drink plenty of water while chalking outside.
Desert Sunset Mural
Join Ian and Lea Ranking of Rather Be Chalking (Phoenix, AZ) for a video tutorial on making chalk your own murals! In this video, they walk you through creating a desert landscape including a bright, angled background sunset and desert wildlife and plants as silhouettes. Have fun and make the mural your own!
TIPS:
1. Start with a frame. Measure out your box with a ruler and use painter's tape to outline the edges.
2. Draw the outline of your main figures and elements first.
3. Use a foam pad or your hand to help blend the background colors.
4. Use a dark color for your silhouette images to really make them stand out.
5. Fan off extra chalk dust to clean up with your mural while you are working.
6. Additional layers of each color help brighten the mural and make it pop off the ground. 
7. Pick your favorite colors!
8. Purples and dark blues can replace blacks if needed.
9. Wear a hat, sunscreen, and drink plenty of water while chalking outside.
10. Remove the blue tape at the end to give a nice crisp frame for your mural!
3D Murals! Learn to Make a Racing Turtle, Hopscotch, and Hole in the Ground

Set your sidewalk apart with this too-cute turtle, terrifying hole in the ground, and bigger-than-life hopscotch! Enjoy a step-by-step tutorial by Nate Baranowski on how to draw these 3D murals, courtesy of Brookfield Properties / Tucson Mall. Don’t forget to share your creation by using #SahuaritaChalkArt 

Festival Tips

Parking is available free of charge. Event parking is available at Sahuarita Lake Park on the south side (125 spaces) and at Anza Trail Park (194 parking spaces), which is within walking distance from the park.  Parallel parking is also available on one side of Camino Lago Azul Road.

If you are an individual, family, emerging artist or professional artist and would like to get involved in the festival, all you need to do is show up at the festival, and you will be provided with complimentary pastel chalk and a designated space to create your own masterpiece.
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Food will be available for purchase from a variety of food trucks onsite at the event. 

2019 Emerging Artist Winners

Best Family or Group Created Mural - Ella and Tess Moll
Judges' Choice Emerging Artist - Barb Simcoe
Best Sahuarita Inspired Mural - Mariah Anderson

Gallery

Special Thanks To Our Event Sponsors

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About
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The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance (SAACA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the creation, preservation and advancement of the Arts. SAACA strengthens the bonds between people, place and purpose through collaborative, arts-driven experiences.