Downtown West Bend comes alive with color at the Museum of Wisconsin Art’s fifth annual Art & Chalk Fest 

The free family-friendly festival features more than 20 artists using chalk to create mini-masterpieces, some of which are interactive and three-dimensional, on the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) parking lot.  

“Art & Chalk Fest brings together some of Wisconsin’s best artists for festivalgoers to watch their artmaking process, whether the medium is chalk, clay, glass or music,” said Ally Wilber, MOWA curator of public programs. “We want people to come to the event and stay awhile—to soak in the abundant creativity of the Wisconsin community.”

Additionally, MOWA visitors can watch exciting demonstrations by artists, including glass-blowing, painting, making jewelry, throwing pottery, and balloon sculpting. 

Artwork created is for sale. Visit wisconsinart.org/festival for a complete list of participating artists.

Youngsters can unleash their creative spirits in the expanded Family Activity Zone, which offers interactive performances, art projects, and a community chalking area.

The scenic MOWA Gardens will host live music throughout the weekend. Performers include Boom Forest, Donna Woodall, Moonglow, No Seatbelts, and the Mambo Surfers. 

Bring your appetite—more than 15 food trucks will serve diverse cuisine such as street corn, ice cream, and falafel. 

Relax in the Festival Beer Garden with a Lakefront Brewery craft beer or nonalcoholic beverage.

Art & Chalk Fest is sponsored by the City of West Bend Tourism Commission, Horicon Bank and Travel Wisconsin.

CURRENT MOWA EXHIBITS

Admission to the museum is free during Art & Chalk Fest. 

Tom Jones: Here We Stand 
Through Oct. 9
A collection of over 120 works by the Prairie du Sac-based Ho-Chunk photographer Tom Jones (ChakShepSkaKah, or White Eagle), a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The exhibition, which is the artist’s first major retrospective, documents his tribe’s rich heritage and culture.

Permanent Collection
Year round
The museum’s collection represents more than 
three hundred artists and spans two hundred years of history.