It’s a fight to the finish!
The Cowichan Valley Arts Council has upped the tempo at this year’s Fine Arts Show by joining the worldwide Art Battle on Saturday, May 11 from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at the Community Centre on James Street in Duncan.
Art Battle is live competitive painting. Painters create the best work they can in 20 minutes.
As they work, patrons move around the easels, closely watching the creative process. The medium is acrylic paint and the tools allowed are brushes, palette knives or any non-mechanical implements.
Susanne Grundison, the producer of the event, said, “Audience members get to go on the journey as well, circling the canvasses like a slow tornado. Round 1 involves five artists with 20 minutes to create while music is filling the room and the audience watches the process. After 20 minutes brushes are put down and the audience votes for their favourite painting. Round 2 is a reset, with five new artists, 20 minutes on the clock, audience circling and music filling the room. After 20 minutes, it’s brushes down and the audience votes. The top two (as voted by the audience) from Round 1 and Round 2 enter into a four-person Art Battle in Round 3. Still 20 minutes, but it’s a slightly larger canvas. We repeat the process, audience votes and a Champion of Art Battle Duncan is crowned. The winner receives a cash prize of $250 and a berth into the North Island Finals on June 1 (where all the champions from all the North Island Art Battles will battle it out for a chance to go to the Canadian Finals in Toronto in July).”
All of this happens within the Cowichan Valley Fine Arts Show, at the Island Savings Centre 2687 James St. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; tickets are still available through the Cowichan Valley Art Society located in the Cowichan Community Centre or on line at Artbattle.com or through the Facebook page Art Battle Duncan.
All ages are welcome.
General Admission is $20 per adult, with students and seniors getting in for $15 each.
Paintings created will be available for bid in a silent auction.
Art Battle happens in 50 cities worldwide, check artbattle.com for local listings!
Art Battle was born in New York City in 2001. Today, Art Battle International produces the global tournament with more than 200 events each year in the U.S. and Canada, and in more than 60 cities around the world. From Duncan to Toronto, to Tokyo, Sydney to San Francisco, and Beijing to Bangladesh, it’s live and lively.
Be a part of the fun as a spectator, or participate as one of the featured artists by applying online at https://artbattle.com/join/
lexi.bainas@cowichanvalleycitizen.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
