Art Battle Fort Erie: Showdown At The Sanctuary

Art Battle Fort Erie: Showdown At The Sanctuary

By David DeRocco  dave@gobeweekly.com  https://twitter.com/?lang=en 

A blank canvas, a palate of paint and a roaring crowd of craft beer drinkers; add them all together, and you’ve got the makings of a great night of artistry in action.

The April 27th event, dubbed ART BATTLE FORT ERIE, will feature a dozen local artists locked down in creative combat, competing in a battle of the brushes for the right to move on to an upcoming regional battle in St. Catharines.

“There are three rounds in total,” explained Donna Macleod, President of the Fort Erie Arts Council in charge of the event being held at The Sanctuary in Ridgeway. “In the first round, six artists will compete against each other in a timed 20-minute battle. The audience votes for their favourites, and from each round the top two move on to the second round. The final round will feature just two artists.”

Artists participating in the Art Battle are all given a similarly sized blank canvas, and awarded total control of that they want to paint, the colours they want to use and whether to paint in portrait or landscape style.  Winners are all based on crowd vote, and thanks to the craft beer flowing throughout the evening, crowds are quite enthusiastic according to Macleod.

“We stream in music, Brimstone has the bar open, it’s a very energetic activity for the artist because there’s a time constraint. Plus, the audience is cheering them on the whole time. We do a countdown to let them know how much time they have left. It’s a truly fun event.”

Macleod, who is also an artist, says despite the rush some of the paintings produced have “just been amazing.” All artwork created will be available via silent auction; however, the winning painting is auctioned off at the end of the night, with half the proceeds going to the artist and half to the Fort Erie Arts Council. Submissions are still be accepted for the April 27th event, which Macleod says is becoming a big draw for local artists.

“It’s amazing how many artists have come out of the woodwork,” she said. “We have many local artists we know well, but even some high school students have come forward to participate. Just to see the talent in our Niagara Region is amazing.”

 Tickets are $15 advance, $20 at the door with a student rate of $10.00. Doors open at 7:00pm. All artists must bring their own brushes, but will be supplied paints and canvas.

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