It’s no “Starry Night,” but Vincent Van Gogh’s “Postman Joseph Roulin” is one of the master painter’s more famous works. And, on August 27 you are invited to help recreate this masterpiece in chalk in the Village of Hamburg!
Hamburg’s Chalk It Up to Van Gogh community art event will take place in the parking lot of Attea & Attea on Buffalo Street from 12 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, August 27. It coincides with the third annual Flavor of Hamburg Festival.
This is the second year for the community art event, which encourages people of all ages to grab a bucket of chalk and participate in recreating a famous Vincent Van Gogh painting right on the streets of Hamburg.
“It’s for everyone - young and old. It’s for the community to join together and help create a single large masterpiece in one day,” said event founder Eric Adams.
Adams, who is owner of Picture Your Walls art gallery in Hamburg, came up with the idea a few years in order to give people a hands-on approach to art. “I wanted to do something to get people involved; to encourage them to participate in an art-based action project, rather than just looking at and admiring art from afar.”
This year’s recreation will be Van Gogh’s “Postman Joseph Roulin” and artists will once again be under the direction of mural artist Tim Cornelius, of Orchard Park. The painting will be divided up into a grid of about 100 or more blocks. Each participant will be given a block to recreate with chalk. Adams expects the actual drawing of the masterpiece to begin at around 1 p.m. When complete it will measure 12’x12’ or larger.
Participation in the Chalk It Up to Van Gogh event is FREE. It is open to ALL AGES and no artistic ability or experience is required. Chalk will be provided and no registration is required. Just show up and draw!
Last year’s piece, Van Gogh’s “Self-Portrait with Straw Hat,” was the combined work of nearly 100 community participants. The finished size of the chalk masterpiece was 15’x20’.
