Columbus, Ohio USA
Return to Homepage www.shortnorth.comVia Colori Street Painting Festival Blossoms
September 2005
By Jennifer HambrickPhoto Gus Brunsman III
Columbus, Ohio USA
Return to Homepage www.shortnorth.comVia Colori Street Painting Festival Blossoms
September 2005
By Jennifer HambrickPhoto Gus Brunsman III
Via Colori artist Carol Griffith with John Angelo. In his first two months as executive director of the Short North Business Association (SNBA), John Angelo has been finalizing details for the 2005 Via Colori street painting festival, presented by NationalCity Bank. The festival is scheduled for September 24 and 25 and will take place at Goodale Avenue and Park Street.
More than 100 artists have registered to participate in the event, in which artists create often spectacular chalk drawings on designated asphalt squares in the Short North district, said Via Colori Artists Committee Chair Maria Galloway. Galloway expects to register a total of 200 artists for this year’s festival. Painter Carol Griffith, Associate Professor of Fine Arts at the Columbus College of Art and Design, is this year’s featured artist.
In addition to live visual art, this year’s festival will also feature live music in an array of styles from artists including the Willie Phoenix Band, reggae band A.A.R.M.S. and jazz and blues artist Meridith Evans.
Angelo says some things will be different at this year’s festival, including a Via Finali Art Walk to allow spectators to view the art after drawing stops at 5 p.m. Sunday and an enhanced children’s section in Goodale Park, where kids can create their own artwork, have their faces painted and watch the antics of jugglers, mimes and magicians.
“We’re changing the layout of the event so the entertainment is at the heart of the event. We’re beefing up the children’s area and moving it to the heart of the park so we can take advantage of the playgrounds that are already there. And we’re adding a finale: the final three hours of Via Colori will be chalk-down. We want people to come back and experience everything completed (and) have a romantic dinner.”
And by Monday morning the festival and the artwork will be only memories. The squares will be hosed down immediately after Sunday’s closing party.
“There will only be faint traces left by Monday,” Galloway said. “The city doesn’t want any distractions for rush-hour traffic.”
Hours are 8 a.m. to midnight on September 24, 2005, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on September 25. For more information or to volunteer call 614-228-8050 or visit www.shortnorth.org/viacolori
