The 8th annual Heart of Albany Festival at the Albany Museum of Art was a day filled with art and music under bright blue skies on Nov 15, 2025, a beautiful fall Saturday.

The 2025 Best of Show winner for professional chalk artists is Shannon Brooke of Tennessee, whose chicken shredding on a skateboard best captured the extreme sports theme of this year’s competition.

She was one of seven professional chalk artists who created 50-square-foot and larger works of art on the pavement as festival-goers enjoyed live music, including the Albany debut of Pylon Reenactment Society, art demonstrations, food, and libations on the grounds of the Albany Museum of Art, 311 Meadowlark Drive, in Albany, GA.

Joining the art demonstrations for the first time was the Hot Glass Academy out of Americus.

This year’s entertainment lineup included performances by members of Ballet Theatre South and Theatre Albany, and music by Hannah and Jansen Barnes.

The 2nd annual student art exhibition for Southwest Georgia middle and high school opened its two-month showcase on Saturday. You can see who the list of winning student artists are HERE.

2025 SPONSORS

Sponsors for the 2025 festival include:

• Presenting sponsor: The James M. Barnett, Jr. Foundation;
• AMAzing Activities Area sponsor: Vine Vision;
• School Blocks sponsor: Georgia’s Own Credit Union;
• Community Art Sponsor: WebstaurantStore;
• Pro Chalk Artist block sponsors: Albany Internal Medicine, Wawa, F&W Forestry, Love’s Travel Stops, Underwood Law, LLC, and U-Save-It Pharmacy;
• Volunteer sponsors: Adams Exterminators, Flint Community Bank, Phoebe;
• Helper sponsor: Southern Pediatric Dentistry;
• In-Kind sponsors: Southwest Georgia Living Magazine, Blick Art Supplies, and Eddie’s Signs.

Businesses and individuals who are interested in being a sponsor of the November 2026 festival can contact Chloe Hinton HERE.