NYC's Best Street Caricature Artist Contest Finals
Friday, June 8, 2012 at 12pm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 7, 2012
Contact: Michelle Tabnick, (646) 765-4773, michelle@michelletabnickcommunications.com
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MEDIA TIP SHEET:
Friday, June 8, 2012 at 12pm
NYC's Best Street Caricature Artist Contest FinalsAt Manhattan Movement and Arts CenterFriday, June 8, 2012 at 12pm |
WHO: Allison Harvard, Lawrence Benenson, Susan Rong, Wei Chen, Anvar Makhkamov
WHERE:
Manhattan Movement & Arts Center
248 West 60th Street (between Amsterdam and West End Avenues), New York, NY
WHAT:
NYC's Best Street Caricature Artist Contest Finals
WHEN:
Friday, June 8, 2012 at 12pm
RSVP:
Michelle Tabnick, (646) 765-4773
Mister ArtSee, the national symbol and mobile arts laboratory for the arts and arts education, presents the first annual Best Street Caricature Artist contest in NYC. Three finalists have been selected by Mister ArtSee to compete for this year's title.
The final head-to-head competition, where each artist will create on-the-spot caricatures of participating celebrities will be held Friday, June 8 at 12pm on the outdoor plaza of the Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, 248 W. 60th Street, NYC (between Amsterdam and West End Avenues) in the Lincoln Center area. When completed, viewers can vote for their favorite online at www.mahattanmovement.com and www.facebook.com/misterartsee. The results will be combined with an esteemed group of art world judges and a final winner will be announced.
The three finalists are:
Susan Rong came to NYC from China over 45 years ago where she was a highly trained artist and successful teacher. With true entrepreneurial spirit, she began drawing across from the Plaza Hotel, where her skilled technique has brought her much admiration.
Wei Chen, also from China, is the whiz kid (20's) of the group. He is as adept at caricature as portraiture. His drawn line has an uncanny exacting level of likeness of his subjects.
Anvar Makhkamov, a Russian trained master, has one of the most unique techniques of using shadow and light to create emotionally charged, romantic works. His tools include charcoal, brushes, erasers, and razor blades.
This year's list of judges includes the noted collector and author James Frey, revered painter and chief editor for artnet.com Walter Robinson, and the renowned artist Dana Schutz. ArtSee executive director Elliott Arkin explained, "Following in the tradition of competitions for street food carts and alike, we hope to give a little consideration and inspiration to a field that at times has helped bring down tyrannical institutions and caused riots in other parts around the world ... this should be lots of fun too!"
The winner will receive a cash prize and be featured by the ArtSee project at various public events and appearances during his/her reign in 2012.
About Art-Z Group
ArtSee vehicles are a pioneering project to bring art and art education around the country through specially designed mobile art laboratories. Since 2005, the Mister ArtSee project has brought exhibits, lectures, videos, presentations and classroom activities to thousands of all ages around the country and by doing so, has become a national symbol for art and art education.
Art-Z group is a not-for-profit 501c3 arts organization established to support and run the ArtSee vehicles. The ArtSee project includes an open platform to receive and facilitate creative projects as suggested by artists, art organizations and community groups. The organization welcomes all inquiries. For more information, please contact MisterArtsee@gmail.com or call 646-824-8300.
About Manhattan Movement & Arts Center
Manhattan Movement & Arts Center was developed by Rose Caiola as the home of the Manhattan Youth Ballet, a graded, pre-professional ballet academy and performance company. Ms. Caiola, a former dancer and actress, founded the academy in the fall of 1994 as Studio Maestro at 48 W. 68th Street, and today serves as the youth ballet's executive artistic director.
The school is modeled after the European academies. The Manhattan Youth Ballet has acquired a reputation for excellent teaching in an intimate and individually supportive environment. The school's graduates have danced professionally with American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater, Ballet de España, San Francisco Ballet and Complexions.
As the ballet academy grew, the search for a larger space inspired in Ms. Caiola a highly personal vision of a studio and theater complex that would encompass all aspects of dance education and performance.
mmac opened its doors in June 2008, occupying a dramatic bi-level space within The Element, a luxury high-rise condominium. In addition to the Manhattan Youth Ballet, mmac's studios and theater host daily adult dance and fitness classes, the mmac Kids program, summer intensive programs, as well as an array of performances and special events.
mmac's Off-Broadway theater is the home of the long running hit musical Freckleface Strawberry (produced and co-authored by Rose Caiola), which will soon begin a national tour and can be licensed through MTI.
