The 2nd annual Tampa Bay Chalk Festival will be held on the Deuces this Saturday, May 4, from 9 to 4 p.m. Youth and adult artists are invited to register for this free, family-friendly event.
ST PETERSBURG — Pinellas Diaspora Arts Project (PDAP) is hosting the 2nd annual Tampa Bay Chalk Festival on the Deuces on Saturday, May 4, from 9-4 p.m. Youth and adult artists are invited to register to take part in this free, family-friendly event.
For the second year in a row, the sidewalks of 22nd Street between Seventh Avenue and Ninth Avenues South on the historic Deuces will be transformed as 20 local artists create vibrant squares with chalk and washable mediums. This year’s theme is “Protecting Our Environment: Sustaining Our Future.”
Award-winning visual artist, filmmaker and educator Debbie Yati Garrett, organizer of the Tampa Bay Chalk Festival, received a Creative Pinellas Beyond Placemaking grant to support the project. The grant was produced with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts, Creative Pinellas, the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners and the State of Florida.
Garrett stated that the Deuces’ rich artistic history makes it the perfect location for the Chalk Art Festival. “This is an opportunity to bring together the community of artists, recreation centers, youth providers, and businesses, in addition to showcasing professional artists’ chalk work from near and far. And most importantly, to give our children a day of art expression using chalk and art while having fun,” Garrett shared.
The PDAP teaching artist also said this free-to-the-public annual outdoor exhibit “aims to bring the community, tourists, businesses, and art district together to revitalize and elevate the Tampa Bay Area, Deuces Live Corridor, and local artist and vendor market through economic impact.”
Attendees are encouraged to enjoy delicious offerings available at the businesses along the Deuces corridor, including Lorene’s Fish & Crab House, Heavy’s Restaurant, Rastaman Natural Juices and the Urban Drinkery, which will accommodate hungry visitors that day.
Additionally, PDAP will kick off The Beautify Project with a rock painting clinic at Urban Drinkery that day.
“The Beautify Project is a community art initiative encouraging residents to come out and help bring artistic vision and inspiration to our local establishments,” said Jake-ann Jones, a community artist and PDAP board member.
Jones said Urban Drinkery was selected as a perfect spot to kick off the project not only because of proprietor Shundra Alliison’s gift for creating beverages and food that are not only delicious and artfully presented but also because of its importance as a local hub for art, music, conversation, and community activism.
“PDAP started out here, really, doing some of our first events,” she relayed. In the past, PDAP has hosted movie nights, music events and has presented parties and artists there during its annual Tampa Bay Afrofuturism Festival. “For us, Shundra, Jam, and Dave are family; this is a family spot – it was a no-brainer as our first beautify location,” Jones acknowledged, referring to Allsion’s daughter and fiancée, DJ “Supa Dave” Ranger, of 99.1 Jamz, who will be spinning in Deuces Corner Park all day on May 4.
Allison noted, “I think it’s great because there’s always room for improvement in an establishment, and to get people to help, is a plus. I think it’s important to keep something beautiful, to add some flare,” the newly elected president of Deuces Live Mainstreet acknowledged.
She also refrained from giving visiting community members and rock painters specific motifs, saying, “I prefer people to create what they feel instead of me directing what it should look like. This is your rock that you decided to pick up and do,” she laughed, noting she preferred people create from their own unique ideas.
The 2nd Tampa Bay Chalk Festival will be held on May 4 from 9-4 p.m. Sponsors include Sierra Club, Pinellas Community Foundation, Tampa Bay Estuary Program, and The Factory St Pete.
Families should register for this FREE event here: Family Registration – Tampa Bay Chalk Festival
Volunteers should apply here: Volunteer Sign Up – Tampa Bay Chalk Festival
Face painting will be provided by Paint ME Fancy LLC. A video team from DreamMakerz Productions will be on hand to document the day’s events, while Charli Funk, another PDAP board member, will host events.
Community partners include the Deuces Live Mainstreet, Dali Museum, Keep Pinellas Beautiful, Pace for Girls, Pinellas County Solid Waste Services, St. Petersburg Library, League of Women Voters, **DJ Queen B from 95.7 FM the Beat iHeart Radio and there will be Wellness screenings provided by Faith Community Nursing of Baycare/St. Anthony’s Hospital.
Vendors include Totally Green, The Peace Workout, Moonlit Creations, NAMI, Tracy Jones Artist, Costa Flora, Uniquely Original Art Studio, The Merry Meerkats Go!, It’s a Heart Thang, Elijah Lee LLC, and more.
About Pinellas Diaspora Arts Project
Pinellas Diaspora Arts Project, Inc. is a registered 501c3 organization with a mission to support, encourage, and promote BIPOC Arts and Artists in Tampa Bay while providing family engagements with a focus on health and wellness. For more information, visit https://tbchalkfest.com or https://pinellasdap.org online; follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
