3-D Chalk Artist Kurt Wenner Comes to Sarasota

The 4th Annual Sarasota Chalk Festival will begin Nov. 1 and continue through Nov. 7 in historic Burns Square. The theme this year is ‘Pavement Art Through the Ages’ and the world-famous guest artist Kurt Wenner, the ‘father’ of 3-D street art, will be on hand to create art as well as offer seven public lectures.

Wenner is credited with being the innovator of 3-D pavement art, also known as chalk art, street painting, and 3-D sidewalk art. In 1982, while studying classical architecture and perspective, Wenner combined geometry with drawing and classical design principles and started creating 3-D art on the streets. Shortly thereafter, 3-D street painting became popular and today artists emulate Wenner’s 3-D works world-wide.

The following workshops are open to the public. Students are encouraged to attend and discounted pricing is offered to them if they bring their Student ID card. Tickets and additional information on each of the lectures and demonstrations is available on the chalk festival website, www.chalkfestival.com.  You can purchase tickets for each event or you can purchase the entire series at a discounted price through the website.

Wenner’s lectures and/or demonstrations are as follows:

“Street Painting Techniques”, Nov. 1 at 9 a.m., 529 South Pineapple Avenue, $20 Adult/$10 w/Student ID. Spend an evening with Kurt Wenner as he gives an overview and demonstration of the myriad of techniques used in pavement art. 

“Reawakening the Renaissance”, Nov. 1 at 8 p.m., Roskamp Exhibition Hall, , 2700 N. Tamiami Trail, $20 Adult/$10 w/Student ID. Wenner will take you on a visual journey of his travels, which started in Rome and subsequently took him around the world creating pavement art.

“Architecture and Architectural Detailing”, Nov. 2 at 5 p.m., Academic Center Auditorium, Ringling College of Art + Design, 2700 N. Tamiami Trail, $20 Adult/$10 w/Student ID. Wenner is also a Master Architect and his architecture invites people to fully experience living within a work of art. His profound knowledge of historical geometric techniques and an encyclopedic knowledge of materials and techniques combine with a sense of whimsy and narrative. There will be a book signing with Wenner immediately following this lecture at JWood Realty, 330 South Pineapple Avenue, US Garage Building.

“Perspective, 3D, Illusion Techniques”, Nov. 3 at 9 a.m., 529 South Pineapple Avenue, $20 Adults/$10 w/student ID. Wenner will discuss the history of illusion while demonstrating mathematical solutions to ancient problems in depiction.

“History of Pavement Art”, Nov. 4 at 4 p.m., Academic Center Auditorium, Ringling College of Art + Design, 2700 N. Tamiami Drive, $20 Adult/$10 w/Student ID. Wenner will describe the cultural roots and methods of the Italian Madonnari, the German Strassenmaler, and the British Screevers. Each of these cultural traditions has helped form the foundation for the current emergence of pavement art as a global artistic phenomenon. He will also share rare photos and engravings of historical pavement artists during this lecture.

“Classical Drawing” – Instructional Demonstration, Nov. 5 at 9 a.m., 529 South Pineapple Avenue, $20 Adult/$10 w/Student ID. Classical drawing is often misunderstood as a style of art. However, no other artistic language has surpassed its ability to communicate form and space to the viewer. Wenner will demonstrate that a classical drawing is fundamentally both “abstract” in structure and “pure” in design.

Not to be missed during the festival is an art show, curated by Wenner, which depicts the historical documentation of pavement art as well as his own personal art on display at Ringling College of Art + Design, 2700 N. Tamiami Trail.

Please visit www.chalkfestival.com for complete details on the Chalk Festival and Kurt Wenner's activities.