Vail Art Studio grand opening; call for entries for Live Art Challenge

The Town of Vail on Thursday issued the following press release on the upcoming grand opening of the new Vail Art Studio:

The community is invited to help celebrate the grand opening of the new Vail Art Studio from 4 – 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 3. The facility is located at the lower bench of Ford Park, near the Manor Vail bridge.  The event will include live music and light refreshments.  

In addition, visual artists who live in Eagle County are invited to apply to compete in the inaugural Vail Art Studio Challenge taking place on Wednesday, Aug. 13. This will be a high-energy, live art challenge on the patio of Avanti Vail, located at Golden Peak. Selected artists will have three hours from 4 to 7 p.m. to create a work from start to finish. 

At the conclusion of the challenge, a panel of guest jurors will award a $5,000 grand prize stipend, sponsored by Vicki and Kent Logan, and the opportunity to be the first artist to create in the new Vail Art Studio for a two-week period this fall. Each participating artist will receive a $50 food/beverage gift card for use at Avanti. 

Space is limited, with applications due by 9 a.m. on July 28. Selected artists will be announced on Aug. 3 during the ribbon cutting for the Vail Art Studio. 

Applicants must be current residents of Eagle County, Colorado and be at least 18 years of age.  All traditional 2D and some 3D visual art forms will be considered, including painting, drawing, mixed media, etc. Artists are asked to email artinvail@vail.gov with the following: 

• A brief letter of interest including current Eagle County address and contact information, artist statement, proposed medium, previous art experience, and a resume if available.  

• A proposed concept sketch and/or description of the planned art piece. Vail’s Art in Public Places program seeks to create an inclusive, neutral space for the community, free from divisive or polarizing subject matter. 

• Contact information for two references.  

• Examples of previous work and accompanying detail including medium, scale and year, shared via website link or attached photos with 5 images maximum, not to exceed 8 MB. Please note that ZIP files are not accepted. If files are too large, a Dropbox link can be used. One of the submitted artworks should be in the artist’s possession so it can be displayed as a completed work during the challenge.  

Artists will be responsible for their own supplies, easels, pop-up tents and other materials and will be required to sign a liability waiver prior to the event. Parking will be available at Avanti Vail or in the Vail Village parking structure. 

The winning artist will enter into an agreement with the Town of Vail prior to occupying the Vail Art Studio at an agreed upon date this fall for a two-week duration. Overnight stays are not permitted in the studio, and the artist must adhere to guidelines regarding studio usage. Questions can be directed to artinvail@vail.gov.