The I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival in Santa Barbara was cancelled in 2020, due to the pandemic…and then it was announced that the festival would be held after all – ONLINE! Artists were invited to participate by creating chalk paintings in their driveways and posting photos of the paintings as they progressed each day throughout Memorial Day weekend – May 23, 24, and 25.

The fist-ever online street painting festival was a success! Many beautiful paintings were created in Santa Barbara and elsewhere, enjoyed online and in person by those strolling by in the neighborhoods where they were created. Social-distance viewing was allowed.

We all missed seeing each other at the festival, along everything else (food, music, dancing, etc.), but having a virtual festival was better than not having one at all.

Our cat Dusty enjoyed participating (assisting?) in his first-ever street painting festival.