MASKS, MERRY DAYS, MADONNARI: The heart of Carnevale in Venice is art, and all of art's attending qualities: mystery, beauty, history, joy, mirth, depth. Revelers don colorful, ribbon-bedecked masks as part of the highly visual scene, and feasts for the eyes reign. It can be difficult to summon the spirit of the canal-beautiful town to one's own town, outside of, perhaps, preparing an authentic Venetian dish or singing the traditional songs of the gondoliers. But hosting a Carnevale based around street painting, with many Madonnari in attendance, can capture much of the joie de vivre the city is famous for. San Rafael shall do just that over the final weekend in June during Italian Street Painting Marin's Carnevale di Venezia, a two-day pavement-aswirl happening set to take place in the downtown area of the city.
100+ ARTISTS: "Artwork from over 100 street painters and dozens of mask-makers" shall be displayed, and the Venetian Carnevale theme will incorporate many of the touchstones and sights of the annual celebration across the globe. And while many California-based artists will be sitting upon the sidewalks, a rainbow'd row of chalk at the ready, "(a)pproximately 24 internationally recognized master Madonnari from Italy, Mexico, and the U.S. will be centerstage creating large Carnevale-themed images on the streets in front of historic Mission San Rafael Arcangel," reveal organizers.
JUNE 27 AND 28: A ticket is five dollars on Saturday and ten dollars on Sunday while kids 12 and under are admitted free. While the creations on the ground are the stars of the weekend, there shall be other diversions, including an area for children to create their own street paintings, live tunes, and a parade of costumes (look for the Venetian-ethereal masks). "The tastes and sips of Italy" shall round out the travel-to-Italy vibe of the art-rich, whimsy-nice weekend.
