The Barton Arts Movement volunteers are excited about a special partnership with the Final Fridays on Forest volunteers! On the last Friday of each month, the Final Fridays team hosts live music in Barton County's only consumption district, located between Main Street and Williams Street in downtown Great Bend, Kansas. On Friday, June 30th, BAM will host a special pop-up art gallery and contest called "Art Alley" to showcase talent from Kansas artists and create added entertainment for visitors. This will be the 2nd year for the grassroots art competition. Read about last year's winner here.

Up to twenty (20) Kansas artists will be selected to showcase their work in front of a large audience, and guests will get to vote on their favorite pieces. The artist who receives the most votes will be presented with a BAMMY People's Choice Award and public recognition. They may also have the option to be commissioned for a small scale mural version of their artwork if they're interested and able to do so, but that is not required to enter. Artists must live in Kansas to be considered.

Any artists interested in participating need to complete a 16x20" canvas and fill out the Artist Entry Form (coming soon) prior to June 17, 2023 to be considered. From there, volunteers will select up to twenty (20) of the entries to be showcased during "Art Alley" on June 30th and those artists will be notified. Canvases to be displayed must be delivered to the Golden Belt Community Foundation office (1307 Williams Street, Great Bend) June 26-29, 2023 during GBCF normal office hours. BAM Volunteers will transport the artwork to the "Art Alley" event and display them on easels for the public to browse and vote upon.

After the event, artists are required to pick up their canvas at 8 p.m. on June 30, 2023 after "Art Alley" voting has closed. The winner will be announced LIVE on the spot at the Final Fridays event in front of the crowd!

Submit Art Entry Below

Deadline for form submissions is June 17, 2023.

Selected artists must deliver their canvas to GBCF between June 26-29, 2023.

BAM is driven by volunteers and operates under the fiscal sponsorship of the Golden Belt Community Foundation, a 501c3 not-for-profit organization. Learn more about our work at www.BartonArtsMovement.com.