Street paintings will come to life during Arts Alive Festival

When Everardo Galvez was just a child, he began developing art skills and showed an interest in drawing, painting and sculpture. Several years later, he graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a focus on traditional animation and illustration. Today, Everardo is gearing up to display his masterful talents as a featured street painting artist in the upcoming Arts Alive Festival.

The fun-filled festival is from 12:00 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 5 and from 12:00 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 6 at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center, 24932 Veterans Way.

Everardo is one of more than 80 talented street painting artists who will use chalk to transform the pavement into a gallery of art coming alive.? He will recreate a 10 x 12 portrait of Audrey Hepburn, one of the world?s most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century.

Artists Renee Keady and Maribeth McFaul will also lend their unique talents to the pavement. The duo was recently selected to work among some of the most well-known and famous street painters in the world at the International Street Painting Festival in Sarasota, Florida.? There, they created a montage piece of artwork by Klimt, Botticelli, Munch and Van Gogh.

?The City of Mission Viejo contributes toward arts education in our community with this annual Arts Alive Festival,? said Maribeth, who also teaches visual art at Newhart Middle School. ?This unique opportunity allows budding artists to be inspired by working in collaboration with professional, intermediate, and novice artists of all ages. Many of our street painters have grown up with this festival and gone on to be professional artists and art educators.?

Maribeth will share the pavement stage with many of her advanced art students who have been practicing in preparation for this year?s festival. The students learned to enlarge their chosen images using a grid, transfer their drawings to the street, and complete them with pastel chalks. They look forward to displaying their talents for the thousands of visitors expected to flock to the spring festival.

Street painters will be awarded for their outstanding work in Best in Show; Best Rendition of a Masterpiece; Most Colorful; and Most Original categories. This year, the public will have a chance to choose their favorite work of art for the People?s Choice Award. (Grab a ticket at the information booth, write the number of the street painting square and place it in the ballot box to participate.)??

Along with fabulous street painting, this year?s Arts Alive Festival will feature a plethora of cultural, artistic and environmental activities along with top-notch entertainment.? The fun-filled festival, which celebrates the arts relevant to the 1950s, will also boast the special talents of the great animators of the 20th century, with a special appearance by TV Animation Director Steve Hickner of DreamWorks Studios. There will be music and fabulous food and so much more for people of all ages.? Exciting volunteer opportunities are also available.

For information about volunteer opportunities, e-mail vsullivan@cityofmissionviejo.org or call 949-830-7100 ext. 5128.? Don?t delay!? There are a variety of positions and shifts available for the community to participate in.

For more information about the event, e-mail artsalive@cityofmissionviejo.org or visit cityofmissionviejo.org/artsalivefestival/. To see a sneak peak of the color, excitement and fun on tap for this year?s Arts Alive, visit Arts Alive 2012 Preview.

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