World Street Painting Festival in Joplin Honors Route 66 Centennial
The World Street Painting festival in Joplin, Missouri, is set to welcome visitors on June 6, 2026, featuring 16 international artists who will craft 3D chalk illusions on asphalt. This year’s festival honors the centenary of Route 66, the iconic highway that links Chicago to California, which became a federal highway on November 11, 1926, and was completely paved by 1938. Participants hail from countries including the United States, Netherlands, Italy, Japan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Germany, Poland, Mexico, and India, showcasing the route's impact. Organized by a group from the Netherlands, the festival has previously explored themes such as Vincent van Gogh and music. Bill Thomas, commissioner of the Route 66 Centennial Commission, remarked, "Route 66 is more than a road—it's a shared American story."
Key facts
- Sixteen artists from around the world are participating in the 2026 World Street Painting festival in Joplin, Missouri.
- The festival opens to the public on June 6, 2026.
- This year's theme honors the 100th anniversary of Route 66.
- Route 66 became an official federal highway on November 11, 1926, and was fully paved by 1938.
- Artists come from the United States, Netherlands, Italy, Japan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Germany, Poland, Mexico, and India.
- The festival is organized by a Netherlands-based group.
- Previous festival themes included Vincent van Gogh, climate, freedom, the Olympics, power, and music.
- Street painting originated in 16th-century Italy with the Madonnari.
Entities
Artists
- Jean-Marc Navello
Institutions
- World Street Painting
- Route 66 Centennial Commission
- KY3
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- KSMU
- Car & Driver
- Joplin’s Convention and Visitors Bureau
Locations
- Joplin
- Missouri
- United States
- Netherlands
- Italy
- Japan
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- France
- Germany
- Poland
- Mexico
- India
- Chicago
- California
- Tiel
- England
- Kansas
- Oklahoma