Nation’s best street painters coming to Beaufort. They turn concrete into art

Nationally renowned street painters are returning to Beaufort for the third annual chalk art festival that’s been a surprise hit in a city known for it festivals.

On March 28-29 at Chalk It Up!, artists from across the country will use chalk to craft breathtaking, large-scale works of art directly on the pavement beside Tabby Place on Port Republic Street.

Last year, some 3,000 people turned out for the two-day explosion of color and creativity on city streets, said Linda Sviland of the Freedman Arts District, the organizer. At least that many are expected again this year.

“Each year it’s growing,” Sviland told he Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet.

Freedman Arts District is a not-for-profit that encourages arts and artists in downtown Beaufort neighborhoods and economic revitalization of the district.

The experience of watching the artists, over 17 hours, transform a blank canvas of concrete into art is what has made the two-day event so appealing to the public, says Sviland, who describes it as “fantastic fun.”

“In the process of watching it evolve, you get a great chance to talk to the artists as they are doing it,” Sviland said. “They love to talk to people.”

Now in its third year, the festival has grown from a handful of visiting artists to almost 50.

This year, street painters from California, Indiana, Montana, Utah, New York State, Illinois, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee will be on stage in Beaufort, along with seven local artists.

The professional artists won’t be judged but March 29 will feature a chalk art competition among local middle and high school students: Robert Smalls Leadership Academy, Lady’s Island Middle School, Riverview Charter, Bolden Middle School, Beaufort Academy and Beaufort High School.

The techniques used to make the remarkable art on the different kind of canvas has surprised locals who did not initially understand what chalk art is, Sviland said. Those involved are certified master chalk artists, with some even belonging to chalk artists guilds. Many locals thought chalk art “was what kids do on a sidewalk,” Sviland said.

At the Beaufort festival, the artists will be working on at least 8-by-8-foot squares in the parking lot. Others will be working on vertical chalkboards 8-foot-by-8 feet.

Artists also have been surprised by the positive experience in Beaufort, which has become a regular stop on the chalk art circuit with artists spreading the word and telling each other, “You need to come to Beaufort,” Sviland said.

If you go

Chalk It Up begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 28 and continues until 5 p.m. Sunday, March 29. The artwork will be created directly on the pavement beside Tabby Place on Port Republic Street.

Live music is planned all weekend.

This story was originally published March 1, 2026 at 1:43 PM.

Karl Puckett

The Island Packet

843-256-3420

Karl Puckett covers the city of Beaufort, town of Port Royal and other communities north of the Broad River for The Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet. The Minnesota native also has worked at newspapers in his home state, Alaska, Wisconsin and Montana.