The Sarasota Chalk Festival came back to Sarasota after a long six years in Burns Square from April 5-7.

Usually, the Chalk Festival is held in Venice. But this year it was at both Venice and Sarasota to show off some of the best pavement art from artists all around the world. Victoria Snyder ’19 said that moving the festival to Sarasota made the overall even better.

“It’s so much better to have The Chalk Festival close to where we live, so that I have easy access to go see the amazing art that the artists have created!” she added.

The audience can witness the artist completing his or her art from start to finish. This form of art brings together both the viewer and the artist, as visitors have the ability to watch the art unfold in front of their eyes.

“Going to the festival at the beginning of the weekend to see how the artists began the massive chalk art and then coming back to see the final product is super cool to witness, I was so interested in what they would make out of their blank canvas,” Hannah Boggs ‘20 said.

Since people from all around the world come to see the festival and artists from all over come to present their art to the public, this integrates the viewer and the artist to make a more intimate setting of art. This also gives Sarasota more exposure as a community that is known for its Historic and Artistic aspects.

The surrounding restaurants and shops also got more exposure to locals who wouldn’t usually go to a smaller area like Burns Square, while it is also possibly becoming a tourist attraction to those who have never been to Sarasota.