It’s been a voting EXTRAVAGANZA this first week and it looks like it’s a Battle Royale right now for numero uno between Painting #17 and Painting #22. It’s Flying Dogs vs. Pandas can they stay in the top 32 for ONE MORE WEEK?

YOU DECIDE! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Keep Voting at artvsart.net until Thursday, September 29, 2011 to decide the final 32!

The first week of voting results for the top 32 are below:

1. Painting #17
2. Painting # 22
3. Painting # 43
4. Painting # 72
5. Painting # 24
6. Painting # 50
7. Painting # 57
8. Painting # 42
9. Painting # 64
10. Painting # 73
11. Painting # 27
12. Painting # 25
13. Painting # 19
14. Painting # 6
15. Painting # 16
16. Painting # 21
17. Painting # 29
18. Painting # 20
19. Painting # 14
20. Painting # 4
21. Painting # 71
22. Painting # 47
23. Painting # 44
24. Painting # 18
25. Painting # 60
26. Painting # 13
27. Painting # 68
28. Painting # 9
29. Painting # 67
30. Painting # 5
31. Painting # 61
32. Painting # 81

We had a wonderful turn out at Paint Day Last Week. 104 Paintings are now contenders for the top 32 painting list. A big thank you to Medium Fusion for putting together the time lapse movies below.

Paint Day 2011 at the City Market

View more time lapse video here

Voting is open at artvsart.net until September 29, 2011. YOU get to decide who will compete at the Main Event for a $4,000 Grand Prize.

• This Saturday, September 10, 2011, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Indianapolis City Market (222 E. Market St.)
• Entry fee is $20 on Paint Day.
• Save $5 by registering online in advance.
• Read the Official Rules here.
• Check out video from 2009′s Paint Day.

You have just four hours to paint with the materials we provide. You can’t bring easels or transfers, but you can bring chairs. The public is invited to watch our artists paint free of charge.

Circle of Champions features the following artists:

• Amory Abbott
• Ryan Alvis
• Mab Graves
• Emma Overman
• Dane Sauer
• Chris Sickles

Work will be up through August and seen by appointment. Contact Carrie Hagans at primarygallery@gmail.com.

Primary Colours will also host a closing reception on Friday, August 26 from 6-9 p.m.

Unlike the Art vs. Art’s thrilling Main Event in September, no art will be destroyed during this show.

Primary Gallery is a space shared with the Mt. Comfort Gallery and operates as a nonprofit gallery run by local arts organization Primary Colours. Its mission is to bring progressive and contemporary art to the Indianapolis community. Primary Gallery’s goal is to present a valuable resource in providing a space for professional active working artists to showcase and sell their work.

For more information about this and upcoming shows, check out the gallery on Facebook or online.

Once again, The Vogue Theatre in Broad Ripple provided the area for combat in the seventh staging of the Art vs. Art Main Event by Primary Colours and Groove Truck Productions.

As the doors opened, a line of spectator judges quickly formed up College Avenue on the pleasant September night. Upon entering, the crowd quickly learned which 32 canvases received the most online votes and survived the first cut to compete. Bargain hunters quickly snapped up several of the 104 paintings not making the cut and plunked down $50 to claim their canvas.

As A Squared Industries spun the hot tunes, the crowd filed past the top 32 contenders and selected three canvases on their ticket stubs. Once the ballots were cast and furiously but meticulously counted, the top 16 paintings were brought to the stage to do battle.

Emcee Mike Wiltrout took the stage with the bejeweled trophy belt in hand. In Round One, last year’s winner, Mab Graves (#102), fell to defeat at the hands of two-time winner Amory Abbott (#89). Doug, the auctioneer, was busy selling Mab’s painting for $500 along with most of the other paintings during the first two rounds.

Through the first two rounds, only two painting succumbed to the dreaded Wheel of Death, one (#71) by chainsaw and another (#39) by a Viking’s blade.

Round 3’s two bouts determined the final two combatants by the slimmest of margins. Jessica Dunn’s Goya Cookie Monster (#63) fell by .6 decibels to Andrew Bridges’ King Kong corn (#80) and suffered an embarrassing destruction via the Monet Shot.

The last former champion remaining, Ryan Alvis’ ice cream caterpillar (#70) had maneuvered its way through the field and beat out Carl Leck’s unlucky bunny (#36) by only one-tenth of a decibel! Carl’s bunny proved even more unlucky drawing the Instant Death on the Wheel and suffering a death by Wiltrout’s firebreathing and Molly’s Hatchet.

So, only the final bout remained, and with King Kong corn battling the ice cream caterpillar. Just .6 decibels brought the marauding vegetable to defeat and ruin at the hands of the BP oil drum.

Ryan Alvis emerged as the 2010 Art vs. Art Champion receiving the belt, the serenade, and the Big Check for $4,000. Given the option of keeping his winning canvas or putting it up for auction, Ryan immediately chose auction. A spin of the Wheel landed on Chainsaw, and the auction commenced. When the gavel finally fell, Ryan had sold his piece for a record $1,025!

Congratulations to Ryan and all who competed!

• The Indiana Arts Commission in addition to The Arts Council of Indianapolis and the City of Indianapolis
• Brian Short and Prizm Art Supply, which supplied all of the art supplies
• Eric Davis and Butler Scion for his loyal support
• Stevi Stoetz and the crew at Indianapolis City Market for graciously hosting a very successful Paint Day and Enzo Pizza for feeding our artists
• John Palmer for his crucial assistance with our voting website
• Matt Sommers and Constance Szerdy at MediumFusion for their amazing and selfless work putting together our videos
• Expo Design for printing the Wheel of Death
  Dane Sauer & Jeff Martin at Centerline Studio for building that ominous contraption
• Todd Robinson and Luna Music for selling our advance tickets
• Matt Schwegman and all the crew here at the Vogue for hosting us and making this such an exciting show
• Our media sponsors Dan McNeal at IMC, the folks at NUVO, Dodge Lile and My Old Kentucky Blog
• PRN Graphics for our cool t-shirts
• Hot Box Pizza who ran a promotion the day of the show
• Indiana Ticket Company who supplied the tickets, of course
• Bruce & Scott Westphal at The Great Frame Up
• New sponsors Angie’s List, Joe’s Cycles, and Green 3
• Ted & Shannan Miller at Brugge Brasserie for hosting a great Primer party
• Jimmy Pruitt and Groove Truck Productions, Mike Wiltrout,

  Andy & Annie Skinner (A Squared Industries), & the Zero Boys for bringing it!

• Our rockin’ event committee: Carrie Hagans, Dominic Jannazzo, & Aaron Scamihorn
• Our wonderful volunteers: Lynn Anglin, Will Bain, Janine Betsey, Katy Brett, Monica Clander, Tom Coryell, Marie U. Desert, Heather Goldsmith, Chris Harrel, Kirsten (Kiki) Hill, Deb Hirt, Susanna Hoone, Mike Kenny, Steve Mills, Naomi Spier, Nora Spitznogle, Alyssa Starr, Stevi Stoesz, Darren Strecker, & Phil Velikan
• Our fundraising committee: Chelsea Ernsberger, Jeremy Hatch, & Colin Vaughan
• And of course, our hard-working board: Shannan Spence (Pres.), Jim Clinger (VP), Jenny Skehan (Treas.), Natalie Ingle (Sec.), Brian Myers, Renee Harness, & Jennifer Hughes

Please take a few moments to fill out our survey, and you could win a gift certificate to The Best Chocolate in Town.

Your feedback also provides us with crucial information that we use to secure corporate funding in addition to government and foundations grants.

Installation Nation The buzz was tremendous last year from our inaugural event featuring installation art pieces assembled within the confines of large, metal shipping containers, all on a vacant, donated lot in Lockerbie. Installation Nation returns in June exhibiting innovative art accompanied by music, food, drink, and frivolity.
Professional Development Series We’re teaming up once again with the Arts Council of Indianapolis to conduct a series of free workshops designed specifically for the emerging career artist. We have a preliminary slate set up to start the middle of June and run through the end of July. This year’s workshops will include time for networking after each session.
Art vs. ArtTM Infamous from coast to coast, the winner-take-all painting competition with a twist returns with a vengeance in September. For those of you unfamiliar with this unique event, here’s the gist: Artists have four hours to paint with provided materials. Paintings making the finals square off side-by-side with audience vote determining the winner. Losing paintings face the “Wheel of Death” unless someone’s purchase saves the painting from a ruinous fate. Artists receive 70% from the sale of their art. Last year’s Main Event was a barn burner at the Vogue. Don’t miss it this year!
TOYS Last year saw the return of our holiday invitational art exhibition with chutzpah! Our artists proved that you never know just what to expect when they fashion their pieces around the theme of toys. TOYS will arrive just in time for the holidays in December.

Stay Tuned…

Interspersed with these events, look for Primary Colours out and about in the community. Watch this space for updates and happenings.

We randomly chose her out of all the completed surveys to win dinner for two at Brugge Brasserie in Broad Ripple.

Congratulations, Alyssa!