Calling all visual artists!

Virginia Stage Company is hosting an #ARTwithaTWIST competition for a cause. We will be partnering with the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore to ease the pain of food insecurity in Norfolk. We will be collecting nonperishable food donations during the opening weekend of Oliver Twist, a brand new, music-driven adaptation of a classic story of want and the fulfillment of a wish. That’s where you come in! 

We are seeking submissions of visual art about Oliver Twist. Think of it as your chance to design a show poster that highlights your aesthetic. Submissions should be in JPEG or PDF form and will be printed as an 11x17 poster. Please include a short 100-word artist bio and a one-sentence description of the piece. Please send submissions to artwithatwist@vastage.org.

Your work will be featured on Virginia Stage Company’s website, Facebook page, Instagram, and Twitter. From there, the public will vote for their favorite take on Oliver Twist via social media. We will produce a limited edition print of the winning piece, which will be given to patrons who participate in our food drive.

Just to sweeten the pot: the winning artist will be awarded an Opening Night Season Membership package that includes admission to each opening night performance and bash. Your work will also hang in the newly renovated Wells Theatre lobby for a year.

Guidelines

• 11 x 17 JPEG or PDF that is 300 DPI
• 100 word artist bio and a sentence describing the piece
• The image should include the title of the show, Oliver Twist, and Virginia Stage Company
• Submit all material to artwithatwist@vastage.org
• The deadline is 11:59PM on October 23
• Public voting will close at 5PM on October 26
• Voting will take place on Facebook and Instagram only; Twitter will be used solely to promote the contest
• A Facebook or Instagram "like" is 1 vote, and a Facebook "share" is 5 votes
• Winner will be announced at the pre-show reception on Opening Night, October 28

A Little Inspiration

• The fulfillment of wish
• A jubilant world with in a world
• The visceral joy under the gunk
• Imagery that leans toward the gold in the midst of the darkness
• Themes of disguise, uncovering lies, connectivity, and family
• The importance of little pieces that make a big whole
• Kintsugi (Japanese: golden joinery) or Kintsukuroi (Japanese: golden repair) is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum, a method similar to the maki-e technique.
  • As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise

VISUAL INSPIRATION

Looking for some inspiration for your #ARTwithaTWIST piece? Nehprii Amenii, our Visual Storyteller, shared these inspiration images to give you a glimpse of our twist!