CAA Announces Street Art Festival To Join Art Month Lineup

The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) is excited to announce its newest signature event, The South Walton Street Art Festival (SWSAF), will join this year’s Art Month South Walton schedule of May events. Artists, families, friends and school groups are invited to participate in this three-day festival that will take place in Grand Boulevard’s Town Center throughout Mother’s Day weekend, May 7th - 9th.

“Due to the great volunteer needs and logistical challenges of producing ArtsQuest, we made the decision to move that event to the fall when we believe a fine arts show of its size and caliber can be more safely produced,” said CAA Executive Director Jennifer Steele. “Fortunately, our partners at Grand Boulevard embraced the idea of presenting a new, smaller, socially distanced event that can celebrate the Arts and safely bring people together to create outdoors, and we are looking forward to adding another signature event to their Coastal Culture calendar.”

The South Walton Street Art Festival calls artists of all levels and ages to be a part of the event by creating temporary street murals using only pastel chalk and their imaginations. The socially distanced festival will also feature live music by regional singer-songwriters and musicians, lawn games, a full cash bar, and all the retail and restaurant offerings for which Grand Boulevard is already known. The entire event will be free and open to the public.

Participants can apply in one of three categories: Artist, School Team, or Friends & Family Team; there are a limited number of squares available so applications will be accepted and approved on a first-come, first-served basis. Friends & Family team registration is $150, and all Friends & Family teams will be eligible for a $250 People’s Choice award. School teams will not have a registration fee but will be eligible for awards, including Best in Show: High School, Best in Show: Middle School, and Best in Show: Elementary School. Each winning school will receive a $500 grant for their school’s visual arts department. Artist applicants who are approved will receive a stipend of $200 upon completion of their work and be eligible for awards, including Best in Show ($500), 2nd place ($400), 3rd place ($300), and People’s Choice ($250).

Artist square sponsorships are available for $400, and Artists who apply with a secured artist square sponsor will be automatically accepted into the festival. Sponsors receive recognition on site, online and through social media.

All participants will be supplied with pastel chalk and have the full weekend to create their street mural, including Friday, May 7th, 3:00pm - 8:00pm; Saturday, May 8th, 10:00am - 6:00pm, and Sunday, May 9th, 10:00am - 6:00pm. Awards will be announced Sunday at 6:00pm. Continuous live music and family lawn games will be featured in Grand Park, and a full cash bar will be available so guests can sip and stroll the streets of Grand Boulevard to watch the progress of each mural from beginning to end.

"We love partnering with the CAA for innovative events that support our art community and artists,” said Stacey Brady, Director of Marketing and Communication for Grand Boulevard. “This new street art festival will feature artists creating their art in real time and attendees can watch and enjoy their artistic processes. We are excited about restarting our outdoor events in a safe and mindful manner."

The CAA and Grand Boulevard will take every precaution to keep artists, participants, volunteers, staff, and attendees safe throughout the weekend. Masks will be strongly encouraged for the health of everyone involved, and complimentary hand sanitizer and masks will be available to all attendees. Anyone who is ill should stay home.

The deadline for registration and application is April 19th and applications are available at CulturalArtsAlliance.com/streetartfestival. Businesses interested in sponsoring an artist square or the event can sign up directly on the CAA website and email Jennifer@culturalartsalliance.com with any questions.

Art Month is a month-long celebration of the Arts featuring events and programs presented in locations throughout Walton County, including an online Art & More Auction benefiting the CAA, Digital Graffiti at Alys Beach, Arts Night in DeFuniak Springs, Music on Main, performances by the Emerald Coast Theatre Company, and more. Art Month and the South Walton Street Art Festival are produced with support from Visit South Walton, Grand Boulevard, and Florida Department of State Division of Cultural Affairs.