More than 600 artists will use the pavement as canvas to transform the streets of Lake Worth Beach into a temporary outdoor museum.
The 28th annual Lake Worth Beach Street Painting Festival is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 26-27, in the city's downtown area.
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Artist Jeanie Burns, a longtime resident, has been participating in the festival since 1996.
“It was tiny then, there were only probably 20 artists," she said. "It was just kind of a pop-up. They were seeing how the city would react to it and how people would engage with it. Then it became a success and it just took off from there. After seeing that, I tried it the next year and I’ve been hooked.”
The tradition of street painting goes back to 16th century Italy when artists took chalk to the pavement. Burns’ first experience with street painting was while she was a student at Florida State University. While studying abroad in Florence, Italy, she discovered it on the streets of Rome and Florence and was intrigued.
“I wasn’t an art student — I studied art history and humanities — I’ve had no formal art training. But I love to draw and really enjoy art history. So when I first saw the festival in Lake Worth, I thought, I can do this,” Burns said.
Burns will start the process on Friday by applying a thin layer of tempera paint on the asphalt, which gives the chalk something to adhere to.
“The shell rock in Lake Worth tends to eat up your chalk, so if you put a layer of the tempera paint it allows the chalk to stick to it,” she said. Not all artists do this. She said it makes the process simpler — she’ll spend all day Saturday and Sunday drawing.
“It’s a performance, it’s like going to the theatre or a concert. Sometimes people go on Saturday and come back again Sunday to see the piece finished,” Burns said.
Since 1996, the festival has been organized by a non-profit organization, where Burns served on the board of directors. This year, the city of Lake Worth Beach will be in charge.
Lauren Bennett, director of the leisure services department for Lake Worth Beach said there are over 60 schools and organizations that are participating.
“We have over 230 students participating this year and the biggest group is from A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts,” she said.
Bennett worked closely with the non-profit that organized the event in years past, so she said she’s thrilled to be planning it this year.
“My favorite part is watching the kids grow physically and artistically," she said. "They come back year after year.”
The festival is the largest city event of the year. They will be taking COVID precautions by providing hand sanitizer and where possible, giving artists a little extra space for some breathing room.
“I love participating because it’s a collection of artists whose work you respect. I get to hang out with my friends and they elevate what I do. There’s no competition, it’s an exhibition,” Burns said. “It’ll take me a couple of days to recover after working on the pavement, but it’s worth it.”
The city is expecting around 100,000 people. Since parking in the downtown is limited, they’re offering free shuttle service from the Lake Worth Tri-rail station and the Lake Worth campus of Palm Beach State College.
The artists use chalk to create the artwork, so the masterpieces only last until the next rain.
Hours are Saturday, Feb. 26, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 27, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
For more information, including the live music schedule, go to www.streetpainting.lakeworthbeachfl.gov. The website notes: the festival is not an appropriate venue to bring pets. The crowded, hot pavement is an unsafe environment. But service animals specifically trained to aid a person with a disability are welcome.
