30 July, 2015
Battle of the Brushes
Following a successful session in summer, Art After Dark’s Art Battle Spectacular returns for a night of winter entertainment, art and culture at the Queens Theatre on Thursday 20 August from 7pm.
Part of the SALA Festival and supported by Splash Adelaide, Art Battle Spectacular showcases eight artists pitted against one another in a knockout style competition to become the audience favourite.
Lord Mayor Martin Haese said extending the connections between local artists and audiences through events like Art Battle Spectacular develops greater awareness of some of the amazing talent in South Australia.
“Adelaide is well-known for the arts, and for staging quirky and unique events that attract a diverse range of people, and Art Battle Spectacular fits the bill,” said Martin.
“Part of the reason behind Splash Adelaide is to support up-and-coming artists and entrepreneurs to showcase their ideas and talents in a light, quick, and inexpensive manner so new concepts can be tried out.
Event organiser Kat Coppock happened on the idea while watching art battles interstate and on the internet. Kat said the battles are something fresh and exciting that livens up the Adelaide visual arts scene.
“Watching artists paint live in real time puts a face to the work which people can relate to and really experience the emotion and sentiment that go into every piece,” said Kat.
“Splash Adelaide has been very supportive in helping us turn the idea of Art Battle Spectacular into a reality.
“From simple things like borrowing furniture, to helping us with the process of actually running events; to making valuable connections and meeting with people I might not have otherwise met, and learning how to navigate the red tape that comes with staging any event in a public space,” she said.
Food trucks, a bar and live music will be there throughout the evening as well as special lighting set and live streaming of the artists as they paint.
Each piece of artwork will be on sale at the end of the evening with a live auction of the winning artwork.
Applications for the Splash Adelaide summer program are now open until Friday 21 August for anyone with ideas for spaces around the CBD and North Adelaide.
To find out more about Art Battle Spectacular and keep up to date with Splash Adelaide projects and events, visit the Splash Adelaide website and download the Splash Adelaide app by searching for ‘Splash Adelaide’ in the app store.
Splash Adelaide partners and co-creates with the community to bring streets and public spaces to life through a series of activations, events and projects.