Melrose Busting Out The Colors This Weekend

MELROSE, MA — Follow Your Art Community Studio is putting on its first fundraiser to support its Arts for All program — and it's going to be hard to miss.

A "Chalk Walk" on Oct. 16th from 10 a.m. - noon will feature 11 sponsored artists for a chalk art gallery in front of City Hall, while the public is invited to "Adopt a Square" on the Ell Pond path to create a massive chalk art display.

The fundraiser's aim is to have 100 squares adopted at $30 per square. Some people have donated for others to participate even if they are unable to themselves donate.

Follow Your Art staff and volunteers will be around to help with the chalk art.

"If all goes according to plan, we'll have a long path of brightly colored squares filled with chalk pictures made by the community snaking through the grass by the Gazebo," Follow Your Art Executive Director Kris Rodolico said.

At City Hall, high school and professional artists sponsored by local organizations, businesses, and families will create an art gallery leading to the building from the corner of Essex and Main streets.

The Arts for All program program has already provided more than $5,000 to families for creative arts scholarships and $5,000 for free community and public art projects.

"To me, it's not worth having a community arts center if it isn't available to everyone," Rodolico said. "By connecting with the Card to Culture Program and other community organizations, we've welcomed more new folks to our studios this year through scholarships and subsidized programs, and small donations from those who can help is what funds Arts for All."

Mike Carraggi can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @PatchCarraggi and Instagram at Melrose Happening. Subscribe to Melrose Patch for free local news and alerts and like us on Facebook.