Lydia Jane Anderson
Charlestown, Massachusetts
studioyau.com | @studioyau

Lydia believes our passions should be our professions, not a pleasant pastime but a way of life. She started her art career painting murals and doing chalk art for festival attendees to enjoy and participate with. Now, she is working in the Boston area as a Set Painter for IATSE Local USA829 for TV and film. Painting in the community for community enjoyment is what her passion is all about.

Sandy Forseth
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
@Chalkunity

Sandy Forseth believes in the power of community, art, music, and  play. She is a self taught mandala artist and loves welcoming colorFULL fun at the community mandala. They are universal, ageless & inclusive! Each mandala tells a different visual story. “Reimagine Outdoor Play” is the branch of my business where I create at elementary schools with permanent paint. The community mandala is STEM, STEAM & ADA compliant.

Ever Galvez
Fullerton, California
evergalvez.com | @Evergalvezartist

Ever Galvez is an International award winning street artist. He has been doing street painting for the past 22 years—traveling nationally and internationally— sharing his unique art style and attention to detail. His colorful techniques make his chalk art stand out and always bring a fun addition to the art community. This will be his first time in Pittsburgh, where he is looking forward to bringing something fun and colorful to the festival.

Annmarie Geniusz
Duluth, Minnesota
ageniusz.com | @ageniusz_art

Annmarie Geniusz is an interdisciplinary artist/illustrator. She is best known for her published botanical illustrations and award winning large scale chalk murals at festivals. She graduated suma cum laude with a B.A. in Studio Art and Geology from the University of MN. She is a Canadian-American indigenous artist of Cree-Metis descent, who has called Duluth, Minnesota home for 19 years. She is married with a fine fleet of feline children.

Erik Greenawalt
North Huntington, Pennsylvania
thechalkingdad.com | @thechalkingdad

Erik’s passion for chalk art began more than 15 years ago in the driveway of his suburban Pittsburgh home, when his then-toddler-aged daughters, Jaycie and Jenna, first asked him to draw Mickey, Cinderella, Elmo and Eeyore. Those young art directors were very demanding and wanted more and more elaborate pieces. Erik soon became known as “The Chalking Dad” among his neighbors. Today, Erik — who in real life is a Certified Public Accountant working in corporate finance — is also a certified “master” chalk artist in the Florida Chalk Artist Association. He participates in street painting festivals around the world, where he joins other artists in creating large-scale, elaborate chalk drawings over several days.

Jaycie Greenawalt
North Huntington, Pennsylvania
@jaycie.g

Jaycie Greenawalt, of Irwin, PA, has learned her chalking skills at the hand of her father, Erik, aka The Chalking Dad. When she was 3, Jaycie inspired The Chalking Dad by asking for “The Little Einsteins” to be drawn in her driveway. As she has gotten older, she has partnered with him on many projects and has begun creating her own masterpieces. Jaycie graduated from Slippery Rock University in May of 2025 with a BA in dance and a BS in accounting.

Lori Hughes
Columbus, Ohio
@LorisFigment

Lori is a Columbus, OH chalk artist whose styles tend to lean towards Pop culture, Disney, and whatever her seven-year-old son, Sulley, is obsessed with, which is currently Star Wars. She has been chalking in many different states for almost 20 years. When she is not chalking you can find her painting purses, shoes, and jean jackets.

Liz Johnson
Stow, Ohio
@liz_a_lady

Liz’s journey into chalk art began as a fun weekend activity with her husband and two kids at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. But what started as a casual pastime quickly awakened a deeper, long-standing desire to create on a larger scale. Trusting her instincts, she let that creative spark pour out onto her driveway, often returning to draw characters from her favorite movies and shows. As her passion grew, so did her curiosity. She began studying the techniques of professional chalk artists, eager to learn and push her skills further. Her artistic roots trace back to Kent State, where she earned a degree in fashion design in 2002. However, it was the illustration aspect of design that truly captivated her, not designing the clothing. That realization kept her from pursuing a career in fashion design and she settled into a series of in-store visual merchandising roles up until the pandemic. Though she would occasionally sketch or paint for fun, chalk art quickly became her most fulfilling and enjoyable creative outlet. Liz is especially drawn to portraying the human form, expressive faces, and the characters she loves from film and TV. She’s beyond excited to be participating in her very first professional chalk festival!

Tiffany Kelly
Miamisburg, Ohio
@chalk_n_awe

Award winning sidewalk chalk artist, Tiffany Kelly is excited to return to the Pittsburgh pavement for her fourth appearance at Riverlife Chalk Fest. Tiffany loves to share her passion for colorful art with people young and old, and makes it a point to show visitors they don’t need “fancy” chalk to make vibrant artwork.  Along with sidewalk chalk, Tiffany is also a skilled crocheter and a master pumpkin carver. When she’s not immersed in her creative pursuits, she loves spending quality time with her husband and three children at home near Dayton, Ohio.

Paige Landay
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
@artpaigeofpgh

Paige Landay has been creating street chalk drawings since 2016 with a focus on drawing animals in a more realistic style. Paige is also an art teacher at a public high school outside of Pittsburgh, PA, where she loves teaching her students various mediums. Paige is really excited to make art on the streets of her home city!

Erica Lubera
Bangor, Pennsylvania
@manifest_creative_studio

Erica has always had a passion for the natural world, art, and color. She has participated in chalk art festivals across the east coast, from Florida to Maine, along with her husband Jesse. Her favorite mediums are pastel chalks, colored pencils, and acrylic on canvas. She hopes her art can highlight a little bit of the color and beauty in the world around us.   

Shawn McCann
Crystal, Minnesota
shawnmccann.com | @shawn.arts

Shawn loves to explore the relationship of art, space, and interaction. He graduated the Minneapolis College of Art and Design with a BFA and has grown into a multi-media, multi-disciplinary artist whose work explores color, texture, form, and content. His work spans street painting, murals, fine art, children’s books, installation art, temporary and permanent art, and commercial illustration. He has been featured at numerous US street painting festivals and has worked overseas on projects such as exhibition sized pieces and corporate clients. His work has won numerous awards, been a NEA grant recipient, and is held in private and public collections. He has been featured twice at the LA Times Festival of Books as a featured illustrator and is lead artist for the numerous ceiling murals at Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store. Shawn was also one of the few American artists chosen to participate in the Dubai Canvas, one of the most prestigious street art festivals in the world, and currently organizes 10 street art festivals throughout the midwest. Shawn was also Modelo Beers Artist of the summer in 2022.

Patrick McDonough
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Exhibiting artistic talent at an early age, Patrick was accepted into Tam O’Shanter School of Art in the 3rd grade, later taking additional art classes in high school. During enlistment in Vietnam, he did artwork for many to send home to their sweethearts. Upon discharge, he was offered courses at CCAC. After meeting Coleman Joyce, founder of Joyce Signs, Patrick put his sights on billboard painting. Pat continued his apprenticeship with him while being encouraged him to pursue his personal goal. Many years later, Patrick was hired to create billboards for All-State, where he accumulated 18 years of experience doing pictorials on a large scale. Since then, he has been doing portraits and various artwork for many, including signs. Patrick started doing chalk art drawings about 4 years ago and has gone to several festivals in Pennsylvania and Florida.

Allina Molinaro
Lakewood, Ohio
@allinasartwork

Born and raised in the Steel City, Allina  has always had a passion for art. However, it wasn’t until she stumbled upon a chalk festival in her college town 7 years ago that she discovered a love for this unique medium. Since then, Allina has chalked her mark in several events including the COSI Science festival, the Ohio state fair where she received the commissioners choice award, and other chalk festivals across the Midwest! Now based in Cleveland, ohio, Allina is thrilled to be back for her third year  at the Pittsburgh chalk fest!

Ken Mullen
West Palm Beach, Florida
mellowmonkeyart.com | @mellowmonkeyart

Ken Mullen is an award-winning chalk artist, street painter, and muralist from West Palm Beach, FL. He has been creating street art across the United States for over three decades, and specializes in 3D anamorphic images. When he’s not creating 3D artwork, Ken also loves creating chalk portraits, enjoying the challenge of capturing recognizable details on often difficult surfaces.

Jennifer Ripassa
Eastvale, California
@indofire

Although she’s only been street painting for 19 years, Jennifer has been creating art since she could hold a crayon. She’s a versatile artist, skilled in a variety of mediums including charcoal, pastels, pencils, oils, acrylics, but her favorite surface is the pavement. She went to Cal State Fullerton for Graphic Design and Animation but realized getting her hands “dirty” in paint and chalk were more her style than sitting at a computer, although she still does dabble a bit. Jennifer creates with the desire to inspire and evoke deep emotion. “I am intrigued by the unknown and I live to love and inspire happiness. If I could paint a smile on everyone’s face, I would.”

Erika Lalita Thurkins
Grove City, Pennsylvania
sylphartstudios.com | @sylphartstudios

Erika first discovered her talent with chalk pastels in college, but fell into the street chalk life quite serendipitously many years later when filling in for a co-worker at a festival in New York. After several years participating, she realized it had become her passion and learned of the wider world of professional chalking. She began traveling out of the Buffalo, NY area as a professional in 2018 throughout the country’s festival circuit and quickly grew national acclaim for her vivid and dynamic renderings. She does chalk work for various East Coast events and venues as well as commissions for murals and private collections as Sylph Art Studios. She currently resides in Western Pennsylvania and travels for chalk as often as possible, better still with her son in tow.

Janet Tombros
Apopka, Florida
janptartist.com | @janptartist

Janet P. Tombros is a certified “Master” Street Painter with Chalk Art Nation and an established acrylic artist on both canvas and murals in Florida. The product of a very busy mind, Janet’s work is ever changing in genres. She says the diversity challenges her skills and helps to keep her perspective fresh and energized. Janet’s art reflects the broad cross-cultural influence that comes from her extensive travel experiences. From the Brazilian tropics to the surrounding riches of Sicilian antiquity, Janet’s vivid color palette reflects these carefree cultures. “I am currently challenging myself to create intriguing images that lure my audience into the story. The difficulty lies in getting the perspective correct, not only for the camera, but for the viewer standing in front of the work.”

Joel Yau
San Rafael, California
studioyau.com | @studioyau

Joel takes his passion for street painting around the world, participating as a featured artist in festivals across North and Central America, Europe, and Asia. As a master street painter, Joel applies his extraordinary drafting talent in a large format impressing audiences with stunning portraits and 3-Dimensional designs that come to life and lift right off the ground. Joel enjoys traveling as boundless inspiration, and gives back to the community through his various artistic pursuits. Joel graduated from the Academy of Art university in San Francisco and is a professional visual designer. See more of his fine art work at studioyau.com.