I Madonnari

I am slowly getting to all the pictures I took in while my laptop was being fixed. Mixed in with my posts of current pictures I'll be putting in these occasional pictures from September until I get through them all.

September 15-16 was the annual I Madonnari festival in San Luis Obispo. It is a street painting festival of Italian inspiration. Artists sponsored by local businesses and groups use chalk to transform Mission Plaza and parts of Chorro St and Monterey St into a work of art. It is really amazing what they create.



We knew we would only get to go one of the two days so we opted for the 16th so we could see the finished artwork. About half of the pictures were complete when we got there.





We watched as artists worked to finish.





I also thought the chalk itself made interesting pictures.





Anyone can get chalk at the festival and create their own picture. Some of the art there was as good as the art being sponsored.





The hardest thing about I Madonnari is watching the artists work so hard and knowing that Sunday at 5pm, the water, mops, and eventually street sweeper will come by and erase it all.



It is amazing while it lasts...