12th ANNUAL YOUTH IN ARTS ITALIAN STREET PAINTING FESTIVAL CELEBRATES
La Bell’Italia – THE BEAUTY OF ITALY - JUNE 11-12
New This Year is Chalk It Up for CHAIR-ity – An Exhibit and Silent Auction to Benefit Youth in Arts Programs
SAN RAFAEL, CA – La Bell’Italia – Since the early 17th Century, the Falls at Tivoli, Italy, have captured the imagination of travelers, artists, and poets. Now, Bay Area families and friends will have the opportunity to experience a taste of La Bell’Italia at the 12th Annual Youth in Arts Italian Street Painting Festival, which pays tribute to Italy’s magnificent Tivoli Falls and the beauty of Italy. The event takes place on SATURDAY, JUNE 11 and SUNDAY, JUNE 12 from 9 AM to 7 PM in downtown San Rafael at 5th and “A” Streets. Admission is FREE. For more information, call Youth in Arts at (415) 457-4878 or visit the website at www.youthinarts.org
Over the course of the weekend, hundreds of exciting images begin to take form and emerge as magnificent, colorful street frescos as the Madonnari (street artists) of all ages, professional and amateur, turn the streets of San Rafael into a spectacular asphalt gallery for the thousands of spectators who attend the Festival. In addition to the beautiful art creations, the Festival invites people to browse the Mercato’s tantalizing goods and unique merchandise, enjoy a variety of local and national talent on the stage, and sample a delicious array of Italian foods, wines and beverages, sponsored by restaurants and merchants throughout the Bay Area.
New to this year’s Festival is the Chalk It Up for Chair-ity exhibit and silent auction, where whether you fancy fun or fantasy, there will be chairs for everyone. A silent auction bid sheet along with a short bio of the artist and chair title will accompany each chair. During the festival, the chairs may be viewed at the Chalk It Up for Chair-Ity Galleria in Bar Italiano, with the silent auction closing at 5:30 pm June 12. The exhibit is a prelude to a major chairs component coming in 2006. All proceeds go directly to Youth in Arts programs.
The event feature artist, who will create an original 16’x 20’ street painting of Tivoli Falls, is San Rafael native and 8 time Italian Street Painting participant, Dean Pearson. Pearson began his art career in the early 1980s when he studied with Gage Taylor and Bill Martin. Since then, he has used his talent in various arenas, including album covers, published note cards, blue prints and color consultancy. Pearson’s fine art paintings demonstrate his knowledge of color and unique vision of light. His original painting of the 2005 theme, Tivoli Falls, will be available for purchase through a silent auction at the event.
Other featured artists who will pay homage to the beauty of Italy with three Italian-themed paintings include Melanie Stimmell (from LA), duo Gema Lopez (Oakland) and Christine Pasadis (Rohnert Park) and student feature artists, Nicholle Doll, Candace Downey, Nina Fujikawa and Atsuko Kajita (all from San Rafael High class of 2003) under the direction of mentor artist and teacher Tia Warner.
Melanie Stimmell will create a beautiful rendition of Queen Johana of Naples, with the impressive Mount Vesuvius in the background. Stimmell, part of the Sistine Chapel team, has won several major awards in Italy and Germany and currently works as a Technical Director for the wildly popular animated show “South Park.”
Bay Area duo Gema Lopez and Christine Pasadis will take you on a tour of Italy as they work together to create a majestic collage of Italian landmarks. Lopez has been an artist since childhood and was influenced by her grandfather, a muralist in Central Mexico. Pasadis is a self-taught artist who fell in love with street painting nine years ago and is currently working on a mural in Sonoma.
Everyone in the family will find something of interest at the festival. On Children’s Avenue, a special area just for kids, young artists can each have a street “canvas” to paint their own unique masterpiece. In addition to chalks and erasers, children can take home a Polaroid of themselves with their artistic creation, thanks to the many volunteers from Frank Howard Allen. The cost per square is $10. An exhibit of children’s art from the Youth in Arts Very Special Arts program will be displayed at Children’s Avenue during the festival.
Nothing complements art browsing like music and the Italian Street Painting Festival offers music for all tastes on the Wells Fargo Stage and the Café Stage. From jazz and swing to rock and R&B, take a break from art ogling, sip a glass of wine and listen to artists like The Company She Keeps, House Jacks, Austin Willacy, Swing Society and many, many more. PLUS, in keeping with the mission of Youth in Arts, several student groups will be on hand – San Rafael High Advanced Jazz Band, Marin School of the Arts Jazz Band and Jazz Combo, Davidson Middle School Steel Pan Band, Saxopoly Too, and Youth in Arts’ own award-winning teen a cappella sensation, ’Til Dawn.
After you’ve worked up your appetite, stop by the Italian Marketplace for hearty fare from Il Davide, Frantoio Ristorante, Il Fornaio, Maria Manso, San Rafael Joe’s, Cinecittá, Comforts, An Affair to Remember and Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake. The Bar Italiano offers an array of cool refreshments, including Bellinis, Torani Italian sodas, wines from Buena Vista and Atlas Peak and Italian beer from Peroni. To beat the heat, check out the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream parlor or carts for your favorite treat. Additional sweet tooth gratification can be found at The Café, which will offer Starbucks Coffee specialties and pastries from Il Fornaio and Sweetmill Food Company.
The Italian Street Painting Festival encompasses every aspect of the community, including artists, non-profits and businesses through various levels of sponsorships. This year’s Festival Benefactors are Frank Howard Allen Realtors and Wells Fargo. Festival Sponsors include ABC 7, Atlas Peak Winery, Ben & Jerry’s, Buena Vista Winery, Eastbourne Capital Management, Eckhoff Accountancy Management, Fenwich Foundation, Graham Contractors, Inc., Ivarson Brand Vision, Marin Community Foundation, MSI Litho, Inc., SBC, Starbucks Coffee Company, Trafalgar Tours, Westamerica Bank and Whole Foods Markets. In addition, the Festival recognizes 50 more donors in the Festival’s Mentor and Patron categories, plus 200 individual square sponsors.
YOUTH IN ARTS, celebrating its 35th anniversary, provides visual and performing arts experience and instruction to schools throughout Marin County, and presents a variety of community-focused cultural events. The non-profit organization serves more than 30,000 children each year through its educational programs: Artists in Schools, Very Special Arts and the Performing Arts Series. It also produces the Italian Street Painting Festival, and sponsors ’Til Dawn, a teen a cappella group.
