Chalk Festival

The Pasadena Chalk Festival is the world’s largest street painting festival, where nearly 600 artists spend a weekend and over 25,000 sticks of pastel chalk to create spectacular murals on pavement the size of two city blocks! Elizabeth Espinoza has participated in the event since 1999.

Pacific Island Dancers -- Sharpie on Cotton

These images are part of an ongoing series. There is an incredible Pacific Island community here in California. I have been privileged to know and learn about the dances and culture form many friends I have met over the course of my life, beginning at 11 years of age.

I have always been drawn toward the ancient dances of Hawaii known as Kahiko, the Samoans Siva and fire knife, as well as the Ori of Tahiti. I decided to create drawings of the California Halau members. California is home to many Hawaiians; second only in population to Oahu. That is significant. Many of the younger generations have never seen the Islands of their ancestors. There are many organizations which perpetuate the traditions of Islanders. It is through the Halau’s (hula schools) where the children of all backgrounds are introduced to Island culture, food and ways. These drawings are mostly Californian dancers.

Artist Bio

Elizabeth (Liz) Espinoza’s images are highly influenced by her lifelong interest in the culture of the Pacific Islands. She creates the fluid graceful images of these dancers by capturing their movement and the vivid colors and beauty of the Pacific Island culture. While Liz has experimented with various mediums, she has created her most recent drawings utilizing Sharpies on white cotton sheeting.

Liz’s earlier work in Papel Picado has been shown in a number of venues including the Autry Museum and the Pasadena Historical Museum.

Liz lives with her husband and two beautiful children in Altadena, California. She has drawn her inspiration from both her very talented daughter and her special needs son. She has learned about herself through the triumphs and tribulations and believes that her work is directly influenced by her personal experiences and observations of people. Her work is an expression of her lifelong pursuit of understanding the human experience.

Liz welcomes questions about her work because she believes that it is the questions that propel it to new meaning. She believes that it is the dialogue about her work that truly makes it important.

Background and Training

East Los Angeles College
Liberal Arts Major/Visual Arts Minor – CSULA
Course work on Intaglio print making, Glendale Community College
Intaglio print making, Self-Help Graphics
Directs and teaches Pacific Island Dance Group Keiki O’ka Aina

Exhibitions and Festivals
2008 Pacific Asian Museum, Pasdena Demonstration Papel Picado.
2008 Palm Springs Art Museum workshop / 2 commisioned pieces of Papel Picado
2008 Room13 Foshay Studio/ Light Bringer Project/ Sharing work with students
2008 Light BRinger Project/ Earth Day Chalk with kids
2008 Chalk Art Festival Pasdena
2007 Hathaway Family Resource Center Dia De Los Muertos -
Sugar Skulls and Calavera Beads
2007Forever Hollywood Cemetery Dia De Los Muertos - Alter -
2007 Santa Clarita Street Art Festival
2007 Arroyo Arts Collective Tour
2007 Vromans Book Store Pasadena
2007 Chalk Art Festival Pasadena
2006 Arroyo Art Collective Tour
2006 Chalk Art Festival Pasadena
2005 Palm Springs Museum of Art -- demonstrated art of Papel Picado
2005 Group Show, Acorn Gallery, Arroyo Arts Collective
1999-2006 Pasadena Chalk Art Festival
Light Bringer Project, California State University
Light Bringer Project, Los Angeles County Arboretum
Light Bringer Project, Pasadena Food Bow
2002 USC School of Fine Arts, Arte Caliente -- Papel Picado Demonstration
2002 Autry Museum, Art of the Charreria -- created Papel Picado
2001 Pasadena Historical Museum, History of Latin Americans in Pasadena -- Papel Picado
1999 Eagle Rock Cultural Center, Aztec New Year Celebration -- Papel Picado
1992 CSLA Women’s Show
1992 Cultural Center Tijuana, Mexico, Border Identities
1991 Latinas Power and Strength, Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs
1991 Dia de Los Muertos Fire Show, Self-Help Graphics, East Los Angeles