Quick on the Draw

Comments (0) By Tomi Curtis Thursday, Jan 13 2011

Plein air, plenty of fun, and a chance to make art a communal experience: That’s this Sunday’s Quick Draw art event sponsored by the Broward Art Guild in the heart of Wilton Manors. And you needn’t be a professional artist to participate. In fact, the event has two adult categories — amateur and competitive — and a children’s category for those under 18.

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Not that Broward artists need to be coerced to attend this annual paint-a-thon, but starving artists in particular will want to come out of their garrets, because there’s money to be made! The adult competition offers cash prizes for the three top winners in both categories; the kids get baskets of art goodies. There’s also a fundraising auction of finished artwork in which the artist keeps half the proceeds; the other half goes to the guild. Plus, the winner of the Grand Prize Best in Show receives a one-person show at Gallery 101, Fort Lauderdale’s hot new gallery in FAT Village, the happening art district that came into its own this past year.

You have exactly two hours to create your masterpiece and another hour to frame it and get it ready for presentation and judging (bring an easel for 2-D and a display stand for 3-D), followed by the awards ceremony and auction. The sign-up table is in front of Java Boys at the Shoppes of Wilton Manors (Wilton Drive at Sixth Avenue), and artist check-in starts at noon. The paint-off is from 1 to 3 p.m., the awards presentation at 4:30 p.m., and the auction starts at 5 p.m. in front of Georgie’s Alibi, also at the Shoppes. Adam White, owner of Gallery 101, judges the amateur group, while watercolor artist and director of Florida Watercolor, Teresa Kirk, umps the competitive contingent.

The area that forms the artistic inspiration extends from the Five Points intersection of Wilton Drive (NE 26th Street) to NE 21st Street and includes both Richardson and Hagan parks — some of the prettiest spots in the Island City. If you’re not feeling artsy yourself, come cheer your faves on... and bring lots of friends to bid at the auction; it’s cheap original artwork, folks. Entry fee is $20 in advance, $25 at the event. For entry forms and additional information, email browardartguild.org, or call 954-396-3213.
Sun., Jan. 16, 1 p.m., 2011