Clearwater is turning Coachman Park into a temporary outdoor gallery next January, launching the first-ever Chalk the Bay Art & Music Festival with two days of chalk art, live music, food trucks and arts vendors. The city is now looking for artists willing to trade a blank patch of waterfront pavement for a short-lived public canvas — and a stipend.
The City of Clearwater announced the plan in a July 31 Facebook post, calling for visual artists and saying the two-day festival will bring live music, food trucks and arts vendors to Coachman Park. Businesses will also be able to sponsor a piece or feature their brand beneath an artwork, while the city’s Public Art and Design Board had already listed Chalk the Bay as a May agenda item in public meeting records.
Artists Can Earn Up To $1,000
According to the City of Clearwater’s artist-information page, the festival is scheduled for Jan. 16 and 17, 2027, with selected artists receiving $500 for 2D work, $800 for 3D pieces and $1,000 for wall art. The current page lists Aug. 31, 2026, as the application deadline and Sept. 25 as the notification date. That deadline is later than the Aug. 1 date shown in the city’s Facebook announcement, so applicants should use the current webpage as the operative reference.
A New Festival, But Not Clearwater’s First Chalk-Art Tradition
Clearwater already has a separate chalk-art tradition on the beach: the Clearwater Beach Chalk Art Festival, which the Clearwater Beach Chamber of Commerce says is in its eighth year and features local and regional artists, student artists, vendors and live music. The new Chalk the Bay event is being billed as the first of its kind at Coachman Park, adding another public-art draw to downtown. Hoodline previously reported on the park’s growing role as an outdoor art space, including a marine-themed mural on the Dockmaster’s Office.
What Applicants Need To Know
The city says artists will not have to follow a required theme, but they must submit a design sketch by Nov. 30, cover at least 90% of their assigned space and supply their own materials. Pastels, chalks and tempera paint are allowed, while political messaging, commercial logos, nudity, profanity, violence and smoking or vaping imagery are prohibited.
The city’s artist-information page also includes a non-paid opportunity for students and emerging artists ages 13 to 22, with a 10-by-10-foot location, pastel supplies, lunch and award opportunities provided. Sponsor packages are listed at $500 for 2D art, $800 for 3D art and $1,000 for a mural wall, with an additional option for businesses to select an artist.
Artists with questions can contact [email protected]. The festival is planned for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days at Coachman Park, where Clearwater’s waterfront will briefly become a gallery made of chalk, pavement and a lot of careful kneeling.
