Mission Statement
Lehigh Valley Art Wars are live events where artists create in a competitive environment presenting the creative process as a form of entertainment. The artists gain exposure, earn income and connect with admirers.
Overview
Lehigh Valley Art Wars are live events, held in different cities and towns throughout the Valley. Our goal is to provide an entertainment experience by getting the artist out of the studio and sharing their creative workflow with an audience. At each battle, the artists
have two hours to create their piece of work based on a theme provided. The artwork is then voted on by a combination of the audience and jury. Two artists from each battle go on to the next round, culminating at the grand finale where four artists will compete for the grand prize.
History
Zeke Zelker
Founded in 2011 by Zeke Zelker and Steven Leibensperger, Lehigh Valley Art Wars has become an extremely popular event and something that the arts community looks forward to. “For there to be lines out the door of various establishments to
Stephen Leibensperger
watch artists create is extraordinarily gratifying. The goal is for artists to gain exposure and earn income,” states Zelker. The winning artist Alex Clare, last year made enough money to put a down payment on a house. Stephanie Smith credits the Lehigh Valley Art Wars as being the catalyst to open her own studio and Matt Nixon has had numerous gallery showings since his participation in the Lehigh Valley Art Wars. “What we’re doing, is working, and it’s really exciting to see.” Thousands of people attended the events and the artists all made money.
2012 Battle Schedule
Throw Down
- April 20, ALLENTOWN BREW WORKS 8-11pm, Artists to receive silent auction revenue
Round 1
The first round will be what the artist wants to create given a certain theme or model. They will be provided a blank canvas. Every Artist will get a percentage of the door.
- Battle 1, April 28, BLICK, Emmaus 8-11
- Battle 2, May 4, SECRET ART SPACE, Bethlehem 8-11
- Battle 3, May 12, CONNEXIONS, Easton 7-10
- Battle 4, May 17, SUDDENLY SAMANTHA’S, Easton 8-11
Semi-finals
In the semi-finals, there will be a twist in the competition. The artists will be provided an ammo box with items for them to incorporate into their work. It may be as simple as black and white paint, charcoals, pastels, or wire. The artists will need to create their piece of work based on a theme with in 2 hours. Every Artist will get a percentage of the door.
- MAYFAIR, May 26, Allentown 8-11
- BETHLEHEM BREW WORKS, June 7, 7-10
Finals
In the finals, the artists will be provided a $125 stipend to purchase the materials needed to create their final piece of work. The artists will be provided a theme. The winning artist will get $1000 and an exhibition. Runner up $500, 3rd place $250, 4th $125. All participating artists will be invited to attend the wrap up party, mid summer where all of the artwork created during each of the battles will be auctioned.
- ALLENTOWN BREW WORKS, June 22, 8-11
Be sure to friend Lehigh Valley Art Wars on facebook.
All artists will receive 20% off coupon at Blick Art Supply.
The Goal is to sustain Lehigh Valley Art Wars into events each year and to bring income to the artists. All revenue from donations, sales, artwork, and merchandise will be shared between the Artists and Lehigh Valley Art Wars.
In the fall, Lehigh Valley Art Wars will hold a fundraising event where the artwork created will be auctioned off to perpetuate funding of the future Wars.
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