Double the Family Fun
This year, the Ocala Storytelling Festival moves to Downtown Ocala's Tuscawilla Park...a lovely, spacious site for our festival grounds. And because of our move, this year's storytelling festival goers will be able to enjoy twice the family fun. That's because on Saturday, April 19 we will be sharing Tuscawilla Park with another fantastic family event:
The 4th Annual Art in the Park
A Sidewalk Chalk Festival
A History of Art in the Park
The 1st Annual Art in the Park started in November of 2004. After the 2004 hurricanes came through Ocala, Nina Lovill, the 2-D art teacher at West Port High School , and associates realized the children of the community were feeling disoriented. They realized the children and their families needed something to lift their spirits and get their minds off of the local and national hurricane disasters.
Lovill, her students, and their parents had taken a yearly art field trip to Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where they took part in Savannah's sidewalk chalk festival. This was their first experience with a sidewalk chalk art festival and the students had a wonderful time. Lovill and associates quickly had the bright idea to start a chalk festival in Ocala for the children and their families. Thus, the first Ocala Art in the Park was born.
What Exactly is Art in the Park?
Art in the park is a sidewalk chalk festival for the children and families of Ocala and surrounding areas. It is presented by the Marion County Center for the Arts (MCCA) Visual Arts Booster Club. It is strategically positioned at Tuscawilla Park on the long concrete sidewalk that travels around the beautiful pond in the middle of the park under the great oak trees. Each participant pays a small fee to secure a space (square) of the sidewalk and receive a high quality box of chalk. Then off they go to draw amazing pictures on their sidewalk space. At the end of the day, when all drawings are complete, the drawings are judged and 1st through 4th place winners of each category (elementary-college level) are presented with awards. The awards, valued in total at over $2,000, are all donated by local businesses.
Not only is the chalk festival great for having fun and lifting spirits, it also serves another purpose. The chalk festival is a fundraiser for the MCCA Visual Art Booster Club. The proceeds go toward art supplies, art field trips, art club activities, while also helping those students in the art club who might be financially deprived, all for the sake of better educating our students in the arts.
Art in the Park Details
When: Saturday, April 19, 2008
Where: Tuscawilla Park
Drawing Starts at 10am and Finishes at 4pm
Judging between 4pm and 5:30pm
Awards Ceremony 6pm-6:30pm
At the sidewalk chalk festival you will find young and old alike drawing beautiful murals on the sidewalk, while others stroll by taking in the beauty of it all. There is entertainment, food and lots of fun for the day in the park with family and friends. We invite you to come out and enjoy the day with us.
Entertainment
Entertainment at the festival will include:
Forest High School's Lady Cat Dancers
Florida Twirling Academy
Jazz & Rock Bands
Storytellers
&
Special Guest
Madeline L. Pots
(visit her website)
Some Tips for Festival Goers
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Fee for sidewalk square and box of chalk is $12.00 for each participant
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Wear old clothes-chalk will stain
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Bring larger paint brushes for blending/smoothing chalk, towel and/or knee pads, & water for blending chalk
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Food, sodas, water and "Art in the Park" t-shirts may be purchased at the festival
Registration Form
If you would like to participate in Art in the Park, please download and print a registration form. Mail it to the address on the form along with your check for each sidewalk square you need. If you have friends or family who need adjacent squares...please make note of this on the reverse side of the form.
