New Urban Street Art Festival to Debut April 18 in Bethlehem

Free community event to feature more than 20 different artists and arts organizations

Headspins by acrobatic break dancers, colorful body painting and the click-clack of rollerblades on concrete are some of the sights and sounds that attendees will discover when ArtsQuest’s Urban Street Art Festival debuts April 18 at the Banana Factory community arts center, 25 W. Third St., Bethlehem. The event, which is free, will feature more than 20 different artists and arts organizations representing everything from metal sculpting and graffiti art to cityscape painting and yarn bombing.

At the Urban Street Art Festival, guests can check out a variety of demonstrating artists, as well as create masterpieces of their own while working alongside some of the artists. The festival, which coincides with SouthSide Bethlehem’s annual Spring on 4th celebration, is an opportunity for the public to explore and experience a variety of unique art forms, with appearances by metal sculptor Steven Condra, graffiti artist Max Meano, body art painters from Funtastic Faces and Body Art, and more.

Highlighting the event is the appearance of Jennifer Chaparro, an award-winning chalk illusion artist and director of the International Street Painting Society. A resident of Florida, Chaparro creates amazing chalk scenes at festivals and art shows throughout the nation and has garnered major recognition and awards for her unique style of chalking. During the street art festival, she will join forces with Allentown artist Holly Fields-Scott of Bella Pintura, a local art and design firm, to transform the Banana Factory parking lot into a captivating chalk scene. On April 17, 4-7 p.m., the public can also take part in a free, hands-on workshop with Chaparro that introduces them to the fun of chalk art. The program will include a chalk art history lesson, demonstration on how to scale and create street scenes, and the opportunity for participants to create their own 3-D chalk artwork. Space for this family-friendly workshop is limited, and anyone interested in taking part should register in advance at www.bananafactory.org or by calling 610-332-1300.

“The Urban Street Art Festival will feature a variety of alternative art forms, as well as more traditional art forms presented in a whole new way,” says ArtsQuest Vice President of Visual Arts and Education Janice Lipzin. “The goal with this new event is to showcase some of the many talented artists who live and work in our region, as well as attract people to Bethlehem’s growing SouthSide Arts District. The response from the artists’ community for this inaugural event has been very positive, and we are looking forward to a day filled with hands-on activities, demonstrations and family fun.”

Other highlights of the Urban Street Art Festival include break dancing competitions by Alternative Art Gallery, tarot card readings and fortune telling by AusetGypsy, glassblowing demos by the Glass Studio at the Banana Factory, and delicious food served by area food trucks. From 2:30-5 p.m., guests ages 21 and older can learn to paint their own masterpiece from artist Jacqueline Cornette while enjoying a glass of wine from South Italy Imports at the Paint and Wine Party. Tickets for the event, which is limited to 20 people, are $45 and on sale now at www.bananafactory.org and 610-332-1300.

On April 12, 7 p.m., the community is invited to enjoy a preview of the Urban Street Art Festival as the ArtsQuest Center’s Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas screen 2011 Academy Award nominee “Exit Through the Gift Shop: A Banksy Film,”the documentary that takes a look at some of the nation’s most legendary street artists. Tickets for the film are $10, or $8 for ages 60 and up or 12 and younger.

The confirmed list of Urban Street Art Festival participants so far includes:

Virginia Abbott: Mixed Media Sculptor/Cast Paper Tile Demo
Khalil Allaik: Sculptor/Metal Sculpting
Alternative Art Gallery: DJ, Break Dancing and More
ArtsQuest Glass Studio at the Banana Factory: Hot Glass Demo
AusetGypsy: Tarot Card Reading, Palmistry, Fortune Telling
David Blank and Janelle Hamscher: Interactive Chalk Drawing
Jennifer Chaparro: 3-D Street Painter
Steven Condra: Abstract Expressionist/Metal Sculpting
Jacqueline Cornette: Painter/Paint and Wine Party
Holly Fields-Scott: Architectural Mural Artist/3-D Street Painter
Michael Fickes: Painter/Cityscape Demo
Funtastic Faces and Body Art: Body Painting, Henna Tattoos
Kim Hogan: Mosaic Artist/Community Mosaic Project
Homebase Skate Shop
The Knitter’s Edge: Yarn Bombing
Christopher Kosztyo: Narrative and Lyrical Painter
Max Meano: Graffiti Artist
Julie Miller of Haggis Vitae: Photographer
Marlow Rodale: Painter/Wheat Paste Demo
Deb Slahta: Ceramicist/Hands-on Wheelthrowing Demo