The Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. (JACVB) is pleased to announce that the featured sidewalk chalk art mural for the 2015 event will be a scene taken from the Janesville Ice Arena of the Janesville Jets Ice Hockey team members in action. “We are thrilled to feature the Jets in our 2015 chalk mural and to honor this very talented local team,” said Christine Rebout, JACVB Executive Director.
The Janesville Jets are our Tier II Junior A ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League. They are based in Janesville, Wisconsin and their home games are played at the Janesville Ice Arena, September through early April.
The annual Art Infusion event was developed by the JACVB in 2011 to enhance art appreciation, art education and community spirit while showcasing downtown Janesville (the Janesville Mile) to residents and visitors alike. This 2-day event will feature the sidewalk chalk art mural by Lee Jones and a competition for all ages. It will run from 9 am to 4 pm on Saturday and 10 am to 2 pm on Sunday. There will also be a free chalk art class, led by Jones, which will take place on Friday, September 11, 5 pm at the Olde Towne Mall.
Lee Jones grew up in Madison, Wisconsin. She attended and graduated with honors from Madison Area Technical College’s Commercial Art program. She also worked as a freelance artist in Madison for a few years after completing her degree and then moved to Orlando, Florida to work for an ad agency. During her career she has worked for ad agencies, printing companies, and graphics studios before eventually opening her own studio and traveling the country to draw and teach at sidewalk chalk art festivals.
Jones has been has created the featured mural for each annual Art Infusion event since 2011. She has also taught the free sidewalk chalk art classes to the public and to youth in area schools. During the 2014 event, she created an impressive sidewalk chalk pastel drawing of Skelly’s Farm Market and Corn Maze.
Chalk artists of all ages and skill levels are invited to participate in Art Infusion. There is no fee to draw a chalk mural for fun. Those who wish to participate in the chalk art competition will need to register and pay a $10 fee, which includes chalk art pastels, sponge and gloves. There will be a $250 cash prize awarded to the overall winner in the chalk art competition. Registration is available during the event or in advance at janesvillecvb.com.
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 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 52.5% % of the room tax collected by the City of Janesville with the remainder going into the city’s general fund.