City of El Paso: Call to Chalk Artists

The City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department invites eligible artists to apply to create temporary works of art using chalk on downtown El Paso sidewalks as part of the third annual Chalk the Block Public Art Street Festival. The festival will be held October 8-10, 2010, and is attended by over 15,000 El Pasoans and tourists annually. The event features sidewalk chalk art, performances by Wise Fool New Mexico (aerial acrobats, stilt walkers, and giant puppets), art vendors, live music, performance art, an interactive kid's zone, food and refreshments, Pecha Kucha presentations, and more.

Participation is open to artists residing in El Paso, Las Cruces, and Ciudad Juarez (must have legal documentation to work in the US). Three categories are available: Featured Artists (up to 12 selected, 10' x 5' squares, $300 honorarium), Showcase Artists (up to 20 selected, 6' x 5' squares, $50 honorarium), and High School Artists (up to 12 selected, 6' x 5' squares). Featured Artists work Friday, October 8th from 6-10 p.m. and Saturday, October 9th from 7 a.m. Showcase and High School Artists work Saturday, October 9th from 7 a.m. All artwork must be completed by 2 p.m. (Chalk Down Time). All categories compete for Best of Show ($300). Showcase Artists compete for 1st Place ($150), 2nd Place ($100), and 3rd Place ($75). High School Artists compete for 1st Place ($100), 2nd Place ($75), and 3rd Place ($50).

Applications must be submitted through the CAFÉ online application system at www.callforentry.org. Featured Artists must submit a resume, sketch or image of proposed artwork, description and explanation of the artwork, and three additional images of past work. Showcase and High School Artists must submit a sketch or image of proposed artwork, description and explanation, and three additional images of past work. Images must be 1920 x 1920 pixels, Baseline JPEG format, no more than 1.8 MB. All selected participants must attend a mandatory chalk art workshop on Saturday, October 2nd at 10 a.m. Only chalk pastels in solid form and techniques learned at the workshop may be used; liquid pastels, acrylic paints, and fixatives are prohibited. Artwork must be original, appropriate for public viewing, and contain no advertising. Contact: Marisol Lopez, 915.541.4257, [email protected].