The Anderson Arts Center will ignite the energy and creativity of area artists on Friday, March 4, with an Art Slam competition from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.
“Much like the television show ‘Chopped,’ which is a cooking competition, Art Slam will follow a similar concept,” said Anderson Arts Center Executive Director April Cameron. “The artists won’t know what materials they have to work with until they open their box. They may also have an opportunity to grab some ‘wild card’ items to use, if they get lucky.”
During the live competition among 12 artists, each artist will be given a “mystery box” of supplies and must create a piece of art on the spot. Competitors will be given a two-hour time frame (6 p.m. until 8 p.m.) to complete their work. Works then will be judged, with the winner awarded with the opportunity to have a solo exhibit in a community location.
In addition to the live art competition, performing artists will be on hand to entertain Art Slam guests with music, poetry readings and more. An artisan vendor market will be open to the public from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m., along with a food truck and cash bar. There also will be special youth art activities.
Anderson Arts Center is now accepting applications for both visual artists and vendors interested in participating in Art Slam. The applications can be found on the Arts Center’s Facebook page under Events.
The Anderson Arts Center this year is celebrating its 50th year of providing cultural experiences to the community. It has set both financial and awareness goals for 2022, with several special events planned to engage the community, along with its regularly scheduled exhibits.
The organization is seeking to go into the next 50 years debt-free and is working to raise enough funds to pay off the renovation debt, which is just shy of $50,000. With an overall goal of $100,000, additional donations will help to establish a building fund for ongoing upkeep and continued improvements of the renovated warehouse. There is a special 50 Year Donation Drive page at AndersonArts.org with more information.
