29th annual I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival set to open this coming weekend

Blair Looker, featured artist of this year's I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival, holds one of her sketches that will be created in chalk at the Santa Barbara Mission next weekend. HELENA DAY BREESE/NEWS-PRESS
Blair Looker, featured artist of this year’s I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival, holds one of her sketches that will be created in chalk at the Santa Barbara Mission next weekend.
HELENA DAY BREESE/NEWS-PRESS

The black asphalt outside the Santa Barbara Mission will once again bloom with color this coming weekend when it hosts the 29th annual I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival.

Artists – from touring professionals in the street-painting scene to first-time volunteers and children – will cover the grounds outside the Mission with a patchwork of chalk paintings of their own design.

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