Heather Ainsley
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Last October, the Starling Musings Art Gallery extended a call for local artists who were interested in participating in a spooky-themed art competition, with a special cash prize for the winner. Eighteen artists from Monticello and Jefferson County submitted their original work to the gallery, and locals from the community voted on the artwork they liked the best. Autumn Fisher won the most votes for her acrylic painting, “Moonlight Watcher,” earning her a cash prize of $140!
Coming this February, Starling Musings will be hosting another community art contest, this time with all things “love” in mind.
As before, this contest is pay to play, with a $10 entry fee for each submitted piece. There is no limit to how many pieces an artist can submit. For the entire month of January, Starling Musings will be accepting entries into the contest. The higher the amount of entries competing, the harder the competition will be, but the higher the cash prize, as half of every entry fee goes directly into the winning pot! This means that even if just two individuals compete, the winner will win enough to make back their entry fee!
Starting in February, all submitted artwork will be placed on display in the gallery, and voting will begin! It can be intimidating to submit art for a group of experienced artists to be judged, so it actually won't be the staff of Starling Musings that decides on a winner – it all comes down to friends, family and members of the public, who will vote on their favorite piece.
Love can encapsulate a great number of things. It can be a friend that has stood by your side, a romantic partner in your life, or a family pet who shows unconditional affection. Elements of chocolates, flowers and hearts are also welcome to be the subject of the artwork. Anything and everything that brings to mind the feeling of love or being loved is welcome.
There are, however, rules to keep in mind. The gallery is a public space; artwork depicting sexual themes or nudity will not be accepted. Hatred toward any demographic of person, as well as political themes and images depicting self-harm or the harm of others will also not be tolerated or eligible for submission. The staff at Starling Musings requests that all entries be tasteful. Please refrain from submitting artwork that you wouldn't show to your therapist or your very cool grandma.
Loving someone or something is a basic instinct. It helps serve a purpose, which is generally to enrich our lives and make us happy as we build connections with others and with the world around us. For the next two months, however, your affections can serve another useful purpose: to win you a cash prize! To submit a piece of artwork, contact (850) 363-7038 or send a message to the Starling Musings FB page: Starling Musings Art.