Bakersfield Museum of Art's Via Arté Chalk Festival

Get ready to color the streets at the annual Via Arté Chalk Festival! Italian street painting comes alive in Bakersfield at The Marketplace! Join the Bakersfield Museum of Art's Via Arté Chalk Festival! Bakersfield Museum of Art’s annual Via Arté Chalk Festival has become a Bakersfield tradition, bringing together the community and the visual arts since 1999. Using the asphalt as canvas, spectators watch each year as artists unlock their imaginations and turn the parking lot of The Marketplace into a gallery of amazing chalk masterpieces. This family-friendly event allows visitors to create their own masterpiece! Hundreds of children (and adults) participate each year in our Via Bambino area, showcasing their talents and trying their hand at the ancient art of street painting. Bakersfield Museum of Art’s 28th annual Via Arté Chalk Festival has become a beloved local tradition; thousands of visitors flock to watch as hundreds of artists transform the pavement of The Marketplace into stunning works of art. Funds raised from this event enable Bakersfield Museum of Art to continue its mission of ensuring that the visual arts, and access to them, remain a success in our community. The festival draws on the tradition of 13th-century Italian street painting, a way to create art for the masses that often brings masterworks to the streets.