Audio by Aurora-Marie Munoz.
Taylor Wakeman, senior at San Luis Obispo High School. Credit: Emily Wang / Mustang News 
Anne Quinn (left) and Joanne Schultz (right) – board members of League of Women Voters Credit: Emily Wang / Mustang News 
Charles Wilton and his drawing representing the Coastal Pediatric Dentistry in San Luis Obispo. Credit: Emily Wang / Mustang News 
Organizations and businesses work in their designated square as participants can walk by and view it. Credit: Emily Wang / Mustang News 
Jen Dirstine, a worker for the San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum Credit: Emily Wang / Mustang News
Downtown San Luis Obispo’s Paint the Plaza brought artists, families and businesses to Mission Plaza for a community chalk-art festival on Sept. 19. Participants purchased chalk-art squares that remained on display through Sept. 20.
Paint the Plaza revives Via dei Colori, a Mission Plaza chalk festival last held a decade ago and hosted by local organizations including the San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum and the American Institute of Architects’ Central Coast Chapter. Downtown SLO hosted the festival for the first time this year.
“They’re coming to the event, but they’re also going to shop, eat dinner, have lunch, go for a drink and keep their money local in downtown,” said Maggie Kovach, events manager at Downtown SLO.
Kovach said the festival gave artists a chance to showcase their work and helped strengthen connections within the local artistic community.
San Luis Obispo resident Christine Seely attended the festival with her daughter, Maren Seely. Christine said they planned to donate proceeds from their chalk-art square to Lumina Alliance, a nonprofit that supports survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Their chalk drawing inspiration came from Winnie the Pooh with a rainbow representing hope and connection in the community.
“It’s about bringing the vibrancy that we know exists in our community,” Christine said.
Tobie Siems, a communication studies sophomore at Cal Poly, talked about how she was impressed by the wide range of community members who came together for this event. She especially appreciated how it gathered people of different backgrounds.
“I love how much of a sense of community it’s bringing with different vendors, everyone showing off their art and then people playing music, people singing–it’s beautiful to see everyone so out,” said Timothy Slater, a graphic communications junior.
Kovach said Downtown SLO hopes to make Paint the Plaza an annual event.