Headwaters Region Art Battle Finals:

After three hard-fought preliminary competitions, only twelve finalists remain heading into the Headwaters Region Art Battle Championship, taking place on Friday, May 22nd, from 6-9 pm at the Alton Mill Arts Centre.

“It’s been an incredible ride,” says Alton Mill programmer and organizer Harry Posner. “When we agreed to co-host these events along with Club Art, we had no idea just how much fun they would be. And how much energy gets generated through the passion and talent of the region’s truly gifted artists. They deserve a lot of credit for jumping in. It’s gutsy, to say the least.”

The final twelve artists include the winners of the first three events: Lynda Clare Grant, Max Grunin, and Diana Hillman, as well as the top finalists from each battle. Overseen by Art Battle Canada, the competitive painting event is now in its sixth season, created to encourage a better understanding of how art is made, and an appreciation for the talent and dedication required to become a successful artist.

A portion of ticket revenues will be donated to Club Art, an organization dedicated to the establishment of a permanent youth art space in Orangeville. The final competition will follow the same format as the preliminaries, with three 20-minute painting
rounds. Members of the audience, who swirl like a slow tornado around the painters furiously working
at their easels, will get to vote for their favourite painting. The winner of the event takes home $100 and moves on to the provincial competition in Mississauga in June, with a chance to go to the National Art Battle Championship in P.E.I. in July. All of the paintings will be available for purchase in an ongoing silent auction.

Early bird tickets are available for $10 online at www.artbattle.ca. $15 admission at the door.

“It’s going to be a rockin’ painting party,” says Posner, “With lively music, a cash bar, and great eats from Shaw’s Creek Café, it’s definitely the opposite of watching paint dry!”