Street Painting, Plein Air, and a Yarn Splash at Sam Hicks Park - Its the 14th Annual Temecula Street Painting Festival

          Painters and muralists will fill the streets during the  14^th Annual Old Town Temecula Street Painting Festival June 20-22, 2014.  Temecula's Street Painting Festival draws thousands of visitors a year and is part of the City of Temecula Arts Festival.   The Ralph Love Plein Air Festival, now in its seventh year, begins  Monday,  June 16  this year with artists painting Old Town Temecula scenes through Sunday,  June 22.  At Sam Hicks Park artists will create yarn art utilizing trees, benches and other components of the park.

         Street painters begin their creations on Friday,  June 20 at 5 p.m.  Over 140 muralists and fine artists create giant pastel murals on Main and Mercedes Streets in Old Town Temecula during the event.  It will take most street painters 18 to 24 hours to complete their murals.  Gayle DuRivage, the 2013 Best of Show winner, will be the featured artist. DuRivage has won the best of show four times in the event's 14-year history. Many of the artists started with the Festival as teenagers and return each year.  Tim Krejci, the 2013 People's Choice winner, began street painting at the 2001 Festival as a middle school student. Now competing as an adult, Krejci, 24, is one of the Festival's top muralists.

         "It's rewarding to see the artists return every year, and watch the youth develop. Many of the artists who started with us 14 years ago, now help teach new artists.  It's like a family reunion when the artists start to arrive.  They enjoy the camaraderie and spirit of the Festival.  Many of them street paint at other festivals throughout the year," stated organizer and founder of the Festival, Melody Brunsting.

           Street painting festivals are held throughout California beginning  each spring and continuing throughout the fall.  Now one of the largest street painting festivals in California, the Temecula event produces over 90 giant murals annually.  A large family area is provided for spectators to  try their artistic hand at using pastels on asphalt.  The 2013 event had 1,620 small squares decorated by spectators.  Artists come from all over California, Washington, Arizona and Colorado to paint.

           Street painting  Best of Show winners receive a $500 cash prize and are honored the following year as the featured artist. Additional prizes are awarded for People's Choice, Best Monochromatic, Best Theme and Best Youth with two age categories.  This year's theme is "Be the Dream."  Blick Art Materials, with several store locations in Southern California, will be providing gift cards to street painting winners.

          The Temecula Street Painting Festival is one of four artistic ventures during the weekend in Old Town Temecula. The Ralph Love Plein Air Festival offers a $500 purchase award from the City of Temecula. First place award is $200;  second place award $100. Plein air artists paint from June 16 to the 22 in Old Town. Look for artists with easels in little nooks of the town.  Finished plein air pieces will be on exhibit and for sale at the Temecula Civic Center Conference room beginning on Saturday at 10 a.m. The exhibit ends on Sunday with the 4:30 p.m. awards ceremony.

          Yarn Splash is a new concept for Temecula's art week.  Artists will decorate trees, the gazebo, light posts, fences, trash cans and benches to create a vibrant and radiant atmosphere from Monday, June 16 through the Saturday, June 21. This is a first-time event within the Temecula Arts Festival and is hosted by the Temecula Valley Museum.  The yarn art creations will remain in place until August 24.

         Fine art exhibits are also on display throughout the weekend at the Temecula Civic Center.   A youth fine art competition will also be on display at the civic center conference room.  The Art Festival booths are available through the City of Temecula, visit www.temeculaevents.org for an application.

        Street Painting and Plein Air Festival ccompetition applications are available online at www.temeculacalifornia.com.  Interested artists may also call Melody at 951-678-1456 to have an application mailed.