Italian Street Painting has been a tradition in Europe since the 16th Century and a tradition in State College since 1999.
This year, due to the ongoing construction project on the former Garner Street parking lot, we’re moving our street painting exhibition. In 2019, our street painters will be working on Foster Avenue at South Allen Street. Bringing our street painters into the heart of the Festival will expose their beautiful work to much larger audiences.
While we’ve called our display the Italian Street Painting Festival after Italy’s 16th century madonnari, street painting isn’t just an Italian phenomenon. In England, street artists are known as screevers, while in Germany they’re called strassenmaler. In recognition of the medium’s cross-border popularity, in the future we’ll just be calling our display Street Painting.
The Festival’s Street Painting exhibition will once again feature street painters of national and regional significance. In addition, local artists, Penn State, and local secondary school students will showcase their work.
To apply to be one of our street painters please contact us.
Finally, our Little Art Alley provides artists of any age and ability with the opportunity to add to the festival! For a $5 fee, you get a beautiful box of pastels, a 14″x 14″ square to draw on and the opportunity to create a masterpiece!
Street painters will be on-site from Thursday, July 11 to Saturday, July 13 between the hours of 10:00 am and 8:00 pm, and Sunday, July 14, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, weather permitting.
Click here to see a live stream view over Abby Cramer’s street painting on Allen Street and Foster Avenue, courtesy of our friends at StateCollege.com.
We are currently seeking a presenting sponsor for the Street Painting exhibition. Contact us for details if you are interested in learning more!
Additional sponsorship support for the Street Painting exhibition is provided by Centre Region Parks & Recreation, Sheetz, Ward Transport & Logistics Corp., Centre Area Transportation Authority, Home Instead Senior Care, Jana Marie Foundation, The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, and the State College Community Land Trust.