August 7, 2009; For Immediate Release
Contact: Joni Miringoff
(760) 436-2828; joni@carltas.com



Note to Media: ArtSplash Photos, Facts and Features on Electronic Media Kit at www.carlsbadartsplash.org homepage – or contact wrte4fn@cox.net to email.


ARTSPLASH 2009 SPARKLES BRIGHT GREEN

September 26-27, 2009 Chalk Art Festival Paints a Portrait of Arts, Music, Food and Entertainment on an Environmental Canvas in Carlsbad

Carlsbad, CA … The scene will be picture-perfect green when the ArtSplash chalk art festival hits the street on the weekend of September 26-27, 2009. ArtSplash takes place on Armada Drive between Cannon Road and Palomar Airport Road in Carlsbad.

This colorful fall classic will be held on Saturday, 10 am-6 pm, and Sunday, 10 am-5 pm. Admission and parking are free, as are art demonstrations, hands-on art-making opportunities, music and entertainment, including Fern Street Circus on Sunday, 2-5 pm. Proceeds benefit arts and music programs in North County San Diego schools.

“This year’s event features an environmental theme,” reports ArtSplash Chairperson Joni Miringoff. “Recycled items, from tea pots to tech tidbits, will be incorporated in works created by professional artists. Event-goers also will be able to craft their own recycled artworks. We want to show how easy it is to be artistically green.”

Green-Themed Artworks Come to Life
During the event, Oceanside artist Joey Chavez will construct a sea reef using recycled electronic components donated by Our Planet Recycling in Escondido. Chavez says he is looking forward to his demonstration. “I am eager to show the public that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Chavez has become well-known in North County, thanks to his bull fashioned from old shoes adorning his JC Gallery and Studio in downtown Oceanside.

Carlsbad-based Studio 2’s Ron Juncal and Phyllis Swanson are collaborating with local artist Cecelia Linayao to create an oasis of colorful eco-serenity. Juncal says, “As longtime ArtSplash participants, we wanted to stretch the canvas of possibilities. This year’s tableau will highlight environmental sustainability and connect our multifaceted creation to the natural beauty of the ocean-close locale.” Visitors will be magically drawn to enter the live plant-embellished ‘venue within a venue’ where they can enjoy the panorama of the Pacific viewed through Studio 2’s translucent Plexiglas mural of Maxfield Parrish’s “Ecstasy.” The mural will be accentuated by Linayao’s chalk art creation of Parrish’s “Pandora.” Free-form sculptures of recycled everyday items such as tea pots will rise on each side of the area, mimicking rock-balancing. The plants are donated by Green Acres Nursery in Vista.

The ever-popular Family Art Carnival will beckon children and parents to enjoy fun, interactive, age-appropriate arts activities with an emphasis on green, says Carnival co-chair Tonya Rodzach. “Many participating organizations and schools will focus on found and recycled mixed-media projects,” she explains. “Young event-goers can make found object puppets at the Young Audiences booth, newspaper hats at the San Marcos High School booth and ‘bug shaker’ musical instruments at the La Costa Valley Preschool booth.”

More Arts, Music, Entertainment and Food
A plethora of arts, music and entertainment opportunities abounds throughout ArtSplash weekend. More than 60 professional artists will create magnificent replica paintings that come alive on the street while people watch. World-renowned Gerry Kirk will return to create a wondrous sand sculpture. Alpine artist James Lukinich will use a chainsaw to fashion animals from wood. Texan Scott Wade will create a masterpiece on a “dirty” car donated by Toyota Carlsbad. Wade has been featured nationally on TV and YouTube.

Visitors can engage in a variety of hands-on art-making opportunities, including chalk art, rock-stacking, hat-making and more. A silent auction features whimsically hand-painted clocks, guitars and skimboards. Juried fine art vendors offer diverse and unique art at reasonable prices.

Music will be ongoing. Rotating groups feature an array of musical genres, including smooth jazz, R&B, rock and roll and stomp, with Irish and Asian cultures represented as well. Performers include Shokenji Taiko Vista Drummers, Carlsbad High School Lancer Dancers, Cbad 7, Hullabalooband, 40 Proof, Sunset Strummers, Fearon O’Connor School of Irish Dance and Jason Brown. Street entertainers also will enliven the experience for visitors.

Tasty Educational Benefits
Taste at ArtSplash™, held from 2-5 pm on Saturday, September 26, will offer a delicious selection of local cuisine, including food from Carlsbad Gourmet/Isaac’s Catering, King’s Fish House, Mimi’s Café, Pat and Oscar’s, Pelly’s, Pollos Maria, Romano’s Macaroni Grill and others. The fundraising event has attracted several area schools, who receive half of each $20 ticket they sell. Taste tickets can be purchased on-site. In addition to Saturday’s Taste, great food vendors will offer an assortment of snacks all weekend, including garlic fries, crepes, mini-sliders and cheesecake on a stick.

“Supporting the schools is the prime reason for the event and for our organization,” Miringoff states. “We call ArtSplash a ‘community celebration for arts education.’ That is our reason for being. We hope that it’s one of visitors’ key reasons for being there. It is our joy to celebrate the creativity inherent in people of all ages and walks of life. The joy grows when we can use the proceeds to further music and arts programs that enrich the curriculum in local schools.”

Miringoff reveals, “Each year, thousands of people from around San Diego County and across Southern California come to this destination event. Offering easy access, free parking and a lively but low-key outdoor atmosphere, ArtSplash never feels crowded. Everyone has a good time viewing and creating art, and the vibe is awesome.”

She concludes, “It’s no wonder that ArtSplash is the ‘chalk’ of the town!”

For additional information, please visit www.CarlsbadArtSplash.org or call 760.436.2828.


 

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