Chalking up a good time |
CHRISTY SCHICKER |
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The sidewalk will become a string of canvases for St. Louis artists at the First Sidewalk Mural Art Competition at the Muny in Forest Park on Saturday. The public is welcome to watch this transient art in the making from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Any artist or would-be artist 14 years old and older can participate. "The idea for SMAC came from the very energetic, hard-working volunteer board of directors of the Saint Louis Gallery Association," said Sue Lynn Thomas, executive director of the Saint Louis Gallery Association. "The event is aimed at reaching out to a wide section of the community - youth, students, adults and families - to help build the audience for the visual arts. The alfresco setting at the Muny provides a relaxed, alternative environment for people to connect with the visual arts outside the confines of gallery or museum settings. "We're expecting about 100 participants in the competition," Thomas added, "and I'm guessing the total number of visitors throughout the day might approach 2,500." Concessions will be available at the event for participants and onlookers, and 101.1 FM "The River" will be doing on-site broadcasting of the activities, Thomas said. Official SMAC ball caps will also be for sale. Participants can enter on the day of the event as either individuals or teams. The registration fee is $25 for one 3-by-4 feet sidewalk space, and an additional $10 for each space after that, with a maximum of four total spaces per individual or team. The entire sidewalk space does not have to be filled. With the entry fee, participants will also receive an official SMAC ball cap and a small supply of chalk. Any extra nonpermanent and nonstaining chalk, additional supplies and brushes and rags will be the participants' responsibility to bring. Fixatives are not allowed. Registration and check-in time will be from 8 to 10 a.m. and the competition will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Judging will begin at 3 p.m., during which prizes will be awarded. Prizes include an Apple iMac computer, a digital camera, $100 gift certificate to Art Mart, a one-year VIP pass to Landmark Theaters and family memberships to the Saint Louis Art Museum. "SMAC is being sponsored by the Saint Louis Gallery Association, with the support of the Regional Arts Commission, Missouri Arts Council, !artthis!, Art Mart, The Muny, Landmark Theaters, Mesa Cycles, The Caitlyn Gallery, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater St. Louis and saucecafe.com," Thomas said. For more information, call the Saint Louis Gallery Association at (314) 961-1181 or send e-mail to info@slga.org.
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