Twelve of the B.C. Interior’s best artists will compete for the championship title at the B.C. Interior Regional Finals Art Battle!
Scheduled to conquer CJ’s Nightclub in Kamloops on Saturday, July 6, the high-intensity competition will see participants battle it out for an opportunity to go on to the National Championship Tournament in Toronto later this summer.
“This is super exciting for Kamloops because it allows our artists to compete not only regionally and provincially, but nationally,” said Michael O’Brien, who coordinates the event with his partner, Jennifer O’Brien.
“It is much bigger than any local art event we do here in town, and it kind of lends us to fit under the banner of the tournament capital,” he added.
Art Battle has been curating live painting competitions and artistic performances since the early 2000s.
As of 2019, Art Battle events take place not only in cities across Canada, but around the globe – with competitions in Tokyo, Bristol and Sydney helping to bolster the world’s creative communities.
“It has already done a lot for our local arts scene by bringing creatives together and furthering their careers in addition to giving them a platform and some exposure,” said O’Brien.
The regional championship won't be featuring just the artists who've proved their prowess throughout this season of battles – one lucky attendee will also have the opportunity to be drawn as the “wild card” to join other artists in the competition.
The competition will consist of three, 20-minute rounds comprised of two groups of six. Two winners from each of the first rounds will be selected to move on to the final round at the end of the night.
Throughout the night, viewers will have the opportunity to witness art come to life before their eyes as each artist will create an entire painting from start to finish in just 20 minutes.
“Attendees get to see something happen that they wouldn’t normally get to see or experience,” said O’Brien. “They will be able to meet the artists and see them create something special out of nothing, and it is really quite magical.”
Viewers will not only be able to watch the artists at work and admire their creations, but they will also have the chance to decide which talented individuals move on to the final round — before ultimately choosing who will move on to represent the region at nationals.
An online voting poll will be running throughout each round, as well as a digital auction where spectators can bid on their favourite works of art for a chance to take them home at the end of the night.
Early bird tickets for the event are available online for $15 with day-of admission going up to $25! Early bird tickets are only available until midnight on June 29.
Don’t miss out on one of the most exciting nights of the year for art in the Okanagan.
