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Sarasota News Leader November 9, 2012 Sarasota finally has realized this art show very likely is one of the most significant events the community hosts. Last year, Kowal says, more than 200,000 peo- ple came to look at the chalk art. The festi- val's economic impact on the county last year was believed to have approached $10 million, Kowal adds. This year, she hopes the number is even bigger. Kurt Wenner, who invented three-dimensional pastel drawings, was one of many world-class artists returning to the 2012 show. Artwork titled, "High Wire," by Anthony Cap- petto, drew yet another star — world-re- nowned aerialist Nik Wallenda, who walked across the wire to the acclaim of his street audience. Kowal has incorporated another project into the festival this year which she calls Vertical Art. It has taken its place as a fixture in down- town Sarasota, just like the oak trees and the brick pavers and the roundabouts. If you wan- der into the parking garage on Palm Avenue, gaze over the multi-story buildings in Burns Page 79 Square or drive down Central Avenue, you will see examples of it — from murals to graffi- ti-like paintings. The festival is not just a matter of art and artists. With tens of thousands of people at a minimum coming to the event, merchants and restaurants downtown have been welcoming more business. Before the festival even began, The Tortoise and The Pearl, a shop owned by John and Dido Allaman, was busy. "Without a doubt it's the best art festival in Sarasota," John said of Kowal's creation. "The participation far exceeds anything else ever dreamed of," he added. Then he became even busier and could not talk to me anymore. I wandered on down to the Burns Court Café, where I asked about ordering something off the regular menu, instead of the abbreviated Chalk Festival menu. That place was busy, too, and one of the owners, Cynthia Cassinelli, politely informed me — as she rushed about — that the regular menu was not available during the festival. The artwork by Truman Adams features a 3D effect, with a clown holding a lion in one hand. Photo by Norman Schimmel