The Italian artists utilized different media such as charcoal, rocks, and pigments to adorn the streets
with various religious images.
Today the famous Italian village of Grazie continues to draw a multitude of visitors annually to its street-painting celebration.
Bakersfield, as with a few other cities in California, has adopted this annual tradition, wherein participants range from professionals to art sutdents. Working individually or in groups, these local artists create wonderful streetscapes of vibrant color and varying themes.
Artists use pastel chalks to create either original works of art or recreation of famous works. Being a temporary medium, locals flock to see the artist in action during this two-day event. The pavement is divided into squares ranging from 4 by 6 feet to 12 by 12 feet.
This annual event is a charity undertaking wherein each square on the pavement is paid for by different sponsors, while artists volunteer their time and skills to benefit the city's museum.
Free counters provided by Andale.