Liza Mitchell
A group of local artists will battle it out in a live painting competition designed to promote art while audiences watch how it’s made. Art Battle will be held Wednesday, April 18 at the Hotel Palms, 28 Sherry Drive in Atlantic Beach starting at 7:00.
Photo by Lexa Bergen
“Art Battle is about the celebration of artists and the community reflects this idea that anyone can reach out with their talent and courage to touch an audience,” says Chris Pemberton of Art Battle International. “Jacksonville was selected as a way to uncover and discover the rich artistic talent and expression in the area. We’ve seen a real sense of family among the artists, a respect for each other. It’s a nice way to foster inspiration and meet like-minded people.”
Participating artists include Nicole Holderbaum, Jason Tetlak, Chris Clark, Tatiana Kitchen, Arcissa Jackson, Alta Chica, J. Adam McGalliard, Grace, Princess Rashid, Thony Aiuppy and Marcus Williams.
Each artist has 20 minutes to create their pieces using acrylic paint and any non-mechanical tools. The theme is open to the artists’ interpretation. Artists will compete in three rounds and audience votes are tallied at the end of each round to determine the winner. The winner is awarded a cash prize and a spot in the Regional Final.
The artists are not allowed to use reference material or mechanical tools such as air brushes or hair dryers. Spectators are encouraged to move around the easels to watch the artists as they work and bid on the paintings during a silent auction.
“The goal is to have fun and break the paradigm of the static artist, adding an audience to the creative process. It’s a unique experience. These artists take their canvases from blank to beautiful in just a short amount of time,” says Pemberton. “You cheer for art that isn’t even made yet and watch as is comes into being. There’s nothing quite like it.”
Established in 2001 in New York City by Sean Bono and Max Bode, Art Battle stages approximately 250 events per year in such cities as New York, LA, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Toronto, Manchester and Vancouver. US National Championships will be held in October or November 2018.
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