The Sarasota Chalk Festival, an annual international street art exhibit and competition in Sarasota, Fla., closed on Nov. 7, 2011 after a week of events, and this year, latecomers were in for an unwelcome surprise. For the first time ever, Sarasota officials were spraying down the sidewalks the day after the 2011 festival, erasing the hundreds of chalk traditional, mosaic and 3D artworks created by artists from around the world.

Luckily for those who missed the event, which ran from Nov. 1-7, 2011, the Sarasota Chalk Festival had many avid fans snapping pictures of the exquisite artwork. If you didn't get a chance to see some of the world's most talented chalk artists at work, this is your chance.

The theme this year was Pavement Art Through the Ages, and artists could choose from four categories: Traditional Street Paintings, spanning subjects from the 1500s to the pre-1940s; the Grazie Di Curtatone Competition, a 24-hour contest between professional artists; 3D Pavement Art, shwocasing anamorphism or a technique used to create the illusions of depth and height; and Contemporary Pavement Art, where artists can examine the future or reflect their own culture and inspirations.

Below, watch videos and check out photos of some of the beautiful artwork produced by pavement chalk artists this year in Sarasota, Fl.

Artists prepare for the 24-hour Grazie Di Curtatone Competition.

Scenes from Nov. 5 and Nov. 6, 2011.

One of over a dozen videos documenting artists-at-work at the 2011 Sarasota Chalk Festival.

LEGO Terracota Army- Halfway
This LEGO terracotta army was inspired by the giant LEGO man found on a Sarasota beach, as well as the terracotta warriors of ancient China. Zinnia Jones/Flickr
Chalk Mosaic
A chalk mosaic pays homage to modern collages made from hundreds of digital photos. Apt. 46/Creative Commons
Juandres Vera
Juandres Vera, of Mexico, finishes his submission for the 3D Pavement Art category at the 2011 Sarasota international Chalk Festival. Creative Commons
Apples in Time
One artist blends past and future with an homage to apples and Apple products. Sarasota, Fla. officials estimate over 100,000 visitors attended the free festival. Apt. 46/Flickr
The Ancients in Repose
A chalk depiction of the ancient gods for the category of Traditional Street Paintings, Pre-1940s. Zinnia Jones/Flickr
Street View
Wide-pan view of the 2011 Sarasota Chalk Festival. The festival's end on Nov. 7 saw a high-pressure street washer wipe all the art away, leaving only photos through which to remember the gallery. Apt. 46/Flickr
Melanie Stimmel
Melanie Stimmel Van Latum, one of the Sarasota Chalk Festival's signature street artists, is a founding member of the Street Painting Society, and the only woman to win the title of Maestra Madonnara. Melanie Stimmel/Creative Commo
Florida