State of the Arts
Twelve artists were up against the wall and the clock last Saturday from one to four at the first graffiti throwdown put on by the Shelburne Art Center [1] and the Magic Hat Brewing Company [2]. In the South Burlington beer maker’s parking lot, the fast-moving competitors cranked on their 5-by-5-foot compositions while an estimated 800 to 1000 viewers mingled, noshed on Ben & Jerry’s or Nectar’s gravy fries and, of course, sipped suds throughout the afternoon. Not to mention inhaled the spray paint wafting in the air.
The turnout way surpassed expectations, says painter Sage Tucker-Ketcham of the Shelburne Art Center. Organizers are inspired to make it an annual affair. Meanwhile, a Montréal graffitist who goes by the nom d’art of Regimental won 500 bucks for his astonishing, hot-pink depiction of Burton founder Jake Carpenter. Betcha he’ll stock up on paint. Runner-up was Shelburne artist Kristin L’Esperance, who created a really groovy wall of rats.
Links:
[1] http://www.shelburneartcenter.org/
[2] http://www.magichat.net/