SARASOTA CHALK FESTIVAL FLORIDA USA / CelloGraff, Murals & Street Art

Sarasota Chalk Festival Florida – Bringing Street Art to Chalk Art Festivals

The Sarasota Chalk Festival in Florida is internationally recognized as one of the most important events dedicated to chalk art. Traditionally focused on artists creating large-scale drawings directly on the ground, the festival attracts talented creators from around the world and transforms the city into a vast open-air gallery.

As the event evolved, the organizers began inviting artists from different creative backgrounds in order to expand the festival’s artistic scope. It was within this context that I had the opportunity to travel to Sarasota and participate in this unique event as a street artist.

The invitation represented an exciting challenge. Unlike traditional graffiti festivals, the Sarasota Chalk Festival was primarily dedicated to pavement art and anamorphic chalk drawings. Bringing elements of street art into this environment created an interesting dialogue between different artistic practices.

During the festival, I presented several works using CelloGraff, a technique I developed during my studies at the Fine Arts School. This process consists of stretching transparent film between supports and painting directly onto it, allowing artworks to appear in spaces where traditional walls do not exist.

CelloGraff occupies a particular place in my artistic practice because it questions the relationship between public space, architecture and artistic intervention. The transparency of the material allows the surrounding environment to remain visible, creating a unique interaction between the artwork and its location.

Presenting this technique in Sarasota was particularly interesting because it introduced a different approach to public art within a festival traditionally associated with chalk drawings. The installations created new visual experiences while maintaining a strong connection with the urban environment.

In addition to these CelloGraff pieces, I had the opportunity to collaborate with the artist MTO on a mural. Known internationally for his figurative work and distinctive style, MTO has been an important figure within the contemporary street art scene.

Creating a mural together allowed us to exchange ideas and combine our respective visual languages. Collaborative projects like this are one of the most rewarding aspects of international festivals, bringing together artists from different backgrounds and encouraging creative dialogue.

Beyond the artworks themselves, the Sarasota Chalk Festival was above all a human adventure. The event gathered artists, organizers, volunteers and visitors from many different countries, creating an atmosphere of openness, creativity and exchange.

The video and photographs associated with this project document not only the final artworks but also the process, encounters and moments shared throughout the festival. They reflect the positive energy that characterized the entire experience.

Travel has always been an essential component of my artistic journey. Each destination offers new perspectives, new influences and opportunities to discover different ways of creating and engaging with public space. Sarasota was no exception.

The festival demonstrated how artistic disciplines can coexist and enrich one another. By bringing together chalk artists, muralists and street artists, the event created a platform where different approaches to public art could meet and interact.

Looking back, Sarasota Chalk Festival remains one of the most unique events I have participated in. It provided an opportunity to present CelloGraff to a new audience, collaborate with talented artists and explore the intersection between street art and other forms of public artistic expression, i had opportunity to participate the year before to paint again during the wonderful festival.

I would like to sincerely thank James, Natacha, Denise, Doug, Austin, Becky, Gaetan, DJ Yoda, Stacey, Mark, Kenyon, Michelangelo, MTO and everyone I had the pleasure of meeting in Sarasota, Florida. Their hospitality, support and enthusiasm made this experience unforgettable.