Thank you for registering for the 2024 Sounds & Sights Festival Chalk Art Contest.

We will contact you July 22nd with additional details and setup instructions.

Please review the Rules & Regulations below:

Event Date: Saturday, July 27, 2024  |  8am – 4pm

Palmer Auto Parking Lot (222 S Main St)

Rain Date: Sunday, July 28, 2024

Artists: 5’x5′ Spaces can be created by one or more artists (limit 4).  | Free Children 2.5’x2.5′ spaces must be created by 1 artist (0-12 yrs. old).

Material Restrictions: Participants may bring their own chalk, brushes or water. All chalk must be water-based. Water based chalk paints are permissible. ONLY artist made templates are permissible.

Chalk Brand Recommendations: Basic Crayola Sidewalk Chalk is great for soft pastels colors and base colors while Koss Artists’ Soft Pastel Chalks are best for adding those bright colors. This brand is reasonably priced and works well. You CANNOT use oil pastels. If you use a tempera base – it MUST be watered down. Many chalk artists do a 40/60 mix – 40% tempera paint to 60% water.

Space Assignment:  Artists will pick their own 5’x5’ spaces on a first-come, first-serve basis during check-in.  At check-in, artists will be asked to provide the number of the space they wish to work in. Some spaces may have cracks or texture variations. All Children spaces are 2.5’x2.5’.

Check-In and Registration: Check-in will begin at 7 a.m. at. Artists may prep their spaces as early as 7a.m. but cannot begin chalking until 8am. Any artist failing to check-in by 10am will forfeit their space.

Prizes: Award winners must be present to claim his/her prize at 4:15 p.m.

Additional Rules:

• Drawings must remain within the designated square area. Drawings on buildings, trees, or any other surface are strictly prohibited.
• ONLY artist made templates are permissible.
• This is a family event. Artwork containing nudity, profanity, or content deemed inappropriate by the festival committee will be removed and the artist will be disqualified from the contest.
• If an artist promotes that any prize money will be donated to a non-profit or special cause, the prize check will be made out to promoted non-profit or cause.
• The use of flammable or offensive odors may not be used.

Failure to comply by these rules or guidelines may be grounds for dismissal.

Things You Can Bring:

• Blankets or chair, knee pads to stay comfy while you draw
• Sunscreen and hat
• Sketches or inspiration pieces to guide your chalk design
• Plastic to cover artwork during possible rain
• Water and snacks

Tips

• Use chalk sparingly. Build up your layers, starting with a very light layer on the bottom.
• Some artist prefer to lay all of their undertones first. Some prefer to work top to bottom. We recommend outlining all of your major elements first.
• A big chalkboard eraser works great for laying down large areas of color. Moving the eraser in a circular motion works best.
• Creating a chalk-paint by crushing chalk into water and using a paint brush is also helpful when filling large areas.
• If you’re a first-timer, consider using one object as the focal point of your artwork – a face, a frog, etc. Small details are difficult to manage on a rough surface — so think BIG & DRAMATIC.
• The more you work with chalk on concrete, the more comfortable you will become. So practice on the driveway at home.