Print Local Winona Artists Battle
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Time is running out.
The crowd begins a countdown. “5,4,3,2,” they shout in unison.
The two dueling artists, Meghan Geiger and Aaron Rykhus, sit down for the final moment of their battle and share drinks in celebration. This was just one of the many battles seen at the Art Battle held at the Winona Arts Center on Saturday, Oct. 8.
The idea, the brainchild of Winona Arts Center committee members Sam Brown and Lyon Smith, was intended to bring community awareness and increase traffic to the Center on the corner of 5th street and Franklin.
The event consisted of five hours of 30- minute head-to-head painting competitions between two local artists at a time. The artwork created was then put into an auction to raise money for the WAC.
Smith, originator of the idea and owner of Smith Studio, an art gallery in downtown Winona, said the inspiration came from his time spent battling artists in the streets of Manhattan when he lived there nearly five years ago.
Brown said the idea, which took more than half a dozen meetings to formulate, involved time and innovation from committee members.
“It’s a new thing, so we don’t know what we’re doing and people I’m talking to don’t know what we’re doing,” said Brown. “But it definitely surpassed my expectations within the first 20 minutes.”
More than eight local artists came and donated their creations to the auctions. Audience members placed bids on the pieces in person or electronically through the event’s Facebook page. Within its first two battles more than $600 was raised, exceeding the committee’s expectations.
“This is so epic,” said Claire Richards, WAC committee member and head of the Inspire workshops which provides free art workshops for children. “It’s all about when forces collide.”
Geiger and Rykhus stood next to their finished paintings as “referemcee”, Dr. Bob, began the judging with an “applause-o-meter” to determine the crowd favorite.
“It was extremely exhilarating,” said Geiger, winner of her first battle. “I’ve never done anything like this.”
This was Geiger’s first live art competition.
“There’s no time to go back and fix it,” she said. “I’m usually very meticulous so I have to get in the groove to go fast.”
Among the many contenders was Jerod “Jesus” Schmocker, a senior art major at Winona State University.
Schmocker stood on stage, barefoot, in a paint-covered t-shirt with headphones blasting Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and used masking tape and spray paint to create his exhibit. “Half an hour is longer than you think,” said Schmocker.
The time crunch created tension in the artists and the crowd. More than 30 audience members sat, intently watching the development of each painting, wondering if each artist would finish in time.
“This is the exact energy I would want,” said Richards. “It’s people watching people make art.”
To see pictures of the artwork visit: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150300429034170.354624.117724814169&type=3&saved
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