Art Infusion

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Pat Sparling Photography

A sidewalk chalk artist creates a mural.

A past artist at Art Infusion in Janesville.

press release: The Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Art Infusion Mural Committee are pleased to announce the featured artists for the new exterior wall murals and sidewalk chalk art that will be installed as part of Art Infusion 2022, held September 9 – 11, 2022.

Mural artists were chosen via a juried process that was managed by professional artist and community wall mural expert, Katie Stensberg, of Kasten Design, A Mural Company. “It has been a very exciting process this year with over 100 muralist applications submitted that included representation from four countries and 20 states,” said Stensberg. “Most were exceptionally talented which made the process of narrowing it down very difficult.” The final five wall muralists will begin working on their designs September 9 and hope to complete them by Sunday, September 11, 2022 (weather dependent).

Spectators are invited to view the art as it is being created and to interact with artists. Wall muralists will be on location and will offer times of interactivity with spectators. They can also follow the progress of the art on the Art Infusion Facebook and Instagram pages.

Sidewalk chalk artists will once again be competing for cash prizes on Saturday, September 10, and Sunday, September 11 at Firehouse Park in downtown Janesville. Winners will be announced at 3:30 PM on Sunday. Chalk artists of all skill levels, kids ages 10 and up, and adults are all invited to join the competition or draw for fun. The theme for this year’s event is “Find your adventure in Janesville, Wisconsin’s Great Outside.” There will also be a new black and white monochrome component added for those that are up for the challenge.

Registration fee is $20 per person and includes a box of chalk pastels, sponge and gloves. Additional chalk can be purchased for $20 per box. Preregistration is recommended. It is available at the Janesville CVB office located inside Olde Towne Mall (20 S Main St Ste 11), 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday through September 9. Day of registration will be available at the office, Saturday, September 10 from 9 AM to 5 PM and Sunday, September 11, 9 AM to 12 Noon. Chalk kits and competitor location will be assigned at that time. Artist must be registered and fee paid prior to chalking. >>Get your chalk art competition registration form and rules here. You can pay online here.

The Art Infusion Committee would like to offer heartfelt thanks to Nigella Ryan and other generous donors and volunteers, the City of Janesville, as well as the local organizations assisting with programming and logistics including Janesville Performing Art Center, Rock County Historical Society, Janesville Art League, Rock County Children’s Museum, and Downtown Janesville BID.

For questions please call (608) 757-3171.

ARTISTS AND ART INSTALLATIONS

Returning Featured Mural Artist - Ivan Roque of Miami, Florida:  Wall mural address: Hodge Podge Place (back), 14 S Water St.: Born December of 1991, Ivan J. Roque is a Cuban-American visual artist from Miami, Florida. Raised in the inner city of the infamous Carol City with a passion for the concepts of birth, death, renewal and social struggles, his influences range from the old masters to the new such as Caravaggio, Marc Rothko, Typoe and Gianni Versace. Roque has been able to accomplish many achievements for his young age, including working with rapper Denzel Curry, collaborating with major brands like Samsung, Becks, Seagram's Gin, and Ultra Music Festival, and showcasing alongside established artists such as The London Police, David Detuna, John "CRASH" Matos and many more. As part of Art Infusion 2021, Roque created the incredible 100-foot-long mural known as “The River of Life.” The mural features a flowing river with animals and flowers and is located on River Street side of the Rock River Charter School at 31 W Milwaukee St. Roque holds a Bachelor's of Art in Visual Arts from the Florida International University. ivanroque.com

Emily Balsley of Madison: Art installation address: St Mary’s School, 313 E Wall St.: Emily is an illustrator living in Madison, Wisconsin with her sweet, creative daughter and loving, yogi husband. Her work includes book and editorial illustration, games and puzzles, posters, maps and murals. Her stylized approach is colorful and bold, with a touch of quirk - and her hand-lettering and character-driven illustrations just ooze happy. As part of Art Infusion 2021, Emily created the installation known as “My Pet Park” which was a fun, temporary, pet-themed interactive art display for families to enjoy. The display featured several mural panels with bright and colorful images of everyone’s favorite pets and other animals.  emilybalsley.com

Paola Delfin of Mexico City, Mexico: Wall mural address: Aramark Building, 310 W Centerway St.: Since a very early age Paola found in painting and drawing a magical way to create her own world and stories, always finding endless aspects of beauty. Growing up in a land where art and culture always played a fundamental role, Paola understood the importance of involving society in the artistic process and making it available to any audience. Inevitably Delfín found in public art the perfect way to do it. Her work explores the different aspects in human essence, inviting all to reflect about the importance of the bond between the world surrounding us and ourselves, our soul and body, and our roots, and above all to help us remember we are all connected. Paola has created murals in locations around the world including the United States, Mexico, Cuba, Spain, Japan, Poland, and Austria. paoladelfin.com

Rick Malt of Detroit: Wall mural address: Velocity Motor Sports, 115 N Jackson St.: Rick is a self-taught artist, working and living in Metro Detroit. Working in both aerosol and acrylic painting techniques, Rick explores themes of nature across a broad body of work. From large scale murals and installations to intimate studio work, he focuses on the juxtapositions posed by nature -  life/death, growth/decay, strength/weakness. Growing up in Metro Detroit, Rick’s career as an artist began with his passion for skateboarding, graffiti, and music. Influenced by the bold lines of graffiti and skateboard graphics, he reimagines natural landscapes and the characters that inhabit them, building from bold backdrops to create other-worldly scenes. brownbagdetroit.com

Chris Silva of South Bend, Indiana: Wall mural address: Genisa Wine Bar, 11 N Main St.: Chris’s creative pursuits are firmly rooted in Chicago's urban culture. Chris was an innovative figure in Chicago’s early graffiti and skateboarding scenes and from that foundation proceeded to play a significant role in the development of what is now commonly referred to as "street art." He splits his time between working on large-scale commissions, producing gallery-oriented work, and leading community-based public art projects. As a self-taught sound artist with roots in DJ culture, he also produces music under the alias Lavish Catastrophe Rivers. He uses the languages of visual art and sound because he attracted to their poetic, therapeutic, and transformative potentials. Chris aims to create visual work that is felt foremost intuitively, in much the same way music is experienced. chrissilva.com

Returning Featured Chalk Artist - Leigh Alfredson: Sidewalk chalk address: Firehouse Park, 113 N Main St.: Leigh grew up in Madison, where she attended art school and earned a degree in Graphic Design. She is a professional street painter living in the Orlando, Florida area and has been street painting and teaching this art form for over 25 years. Leigh has traveled all over the United States, Curacao, and Italy to paint, and helps organizations and non-profits hold street painting events as fundraisers. learntostreetpaint.com  

About the Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Our expert staff is here to help you plan your next visit, group tour, meeting or conference event in Janesville, Wisconsin’s Great Outside. The Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is a private non-profit Destination Marketing Organization, whose mission is to lead, support and promote tourism in the area by promoting Janesville as a prime destination for meetings and conventions, motorcoach, sports events and leisure travelers, thereby creating a positive economic impact on the community and enhancing the quality of life. The JACVB is funded by local hotel room tax and receives approximately 60% of the room tax collected by the City of Janesville with the remainder going into the city’s general fund. To learn more visit janesvillecvb.com.