5th Annual Street Art Festival Kicks Off

The Street Art festival has become a main event of the Institute of Creative Arts to showcase the diversity of the culture of art across the country. On Saturday, February twenty-eight, Albert Street in downtown Belize City will be transformed into an artsy and cultural venue for the fifth annual Street Art Festival. The family event sees the participation of artists in the areas of music, painting, fashion and dance and provides the platform to put talent on display. Organizer, Karen Vernon, says that while it was initially created back in 2010 to showcase the work done at ICA, the street art festival has grown significantly.

Karen Vernon, Organizer, Street Art Festival

“We’ve grown; we are all the way down to South Street. So we’ve grown another block. It starts from Orange Street with its junction with Belize Bank where the main stage will be. We have food court, we have sidewalk chalk competition. We have the kids’ zone, artist’s booths, a youth stage; we have Pandemonium Steel Band playing in the street, OMALEWA playing in the street. It is going to be a full, fun, artsy, cultural day on Albert Street.   Street Art started to promote activities here at the Bliss. The theme is “Street Art Festival – Come Party With Us.” And the ART in party is what we took a play on. And of course we want to promote all our artists and what they have to display. There are very talented people out there, in all different aspects: painters, sculptors, people who make jewelry, make up people, people who take photographs and all these people come out and display what they have done. And of course they want to make money so people come out and support the artists.”

Karen Vernon

Duane Moody

“What are some of the elements that have become a trend; that you guys decided to take on board in the street art festival? I believe the other day, it was fashion that came on stream.”

Karen Vernon

“Yeah, this year, there will not be a fashion street as such, but Unique Belize section will be there, a carnival section will be there. Of course the sidewalk chalk competition, the living statues have become a mainstay. Unfortunately this year, the grey lady won’t be there, but we have two or three different people coming from Mexico to do that. That’s always a big attraction with the kids, with everyone as a matter of fact. In the kids section, there will be a Crayola – Angelus Press has taken on a booth there and we will have competitions on the hour for the children in different categories in art.”