Calling all artists and aesthetes

The Battle Ground Art Alliance will be having its 18th Annual Spring Art Show on March 16 and 17. Submissions are due on March 14 at the Battle Ground Community Center from 4–8 p.m.

{{tncms-inline content="<p class="p1"><span class="s1">10 a.m. to 8 p.m. March 16, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 17 at the Battle Ground Community Center, 912 E Main St., Battle Ground. Admission is free to the public. Each year nearly 200 works are entered. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>" id="fe6b074a-9ff1-4345-9c48-6468ef1cd480" style-type="fact" title="If You Go" type="relcontent"}}

The Spring Art Show is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Battle Ground Art Alliance. During the show, there is a silent auction for donated artwork and gift baskets, with the money being used to promote art throughout Southwest Washington. Additionally, many artists sell their work, with the Alliance taking a 25 percent commission.

Artists are not required to sell their submitted work. 

The theme of this year’s show is “connections.” Southwest Washington residents at least 18 years of age are eligible to enter. Artists can submit up to three entries of family-friendly original artwork, done within the last two years. Both two dimensional and three-dimensional media is accepted, however, 2D art must not exceed 40 inches in any direction, and 3D must not exceed 40 pounds. Triptych, assemblages, kits, commercially made items, reproductions, and artwork entered into a prior Battle Ground Art Alliance show will not be accepted. 

History of the Battle Ground Art Alliance

The Battle Ground Art Alliance was founded in 2001. Currently, there are about 90 members involved. The alliance is made up of art supporters, beginners, and those who are more experienced, from potters to photographers, painters, woodworkers, and writers. 

“Everybody who’s involved loves art in one form or another — or in all forms,” said Michael Kay, the treasurer and membership secretary for Battle Ground Art Alliance. 

Dotty Yackle-Kay, the president of the Battle Ground Art Alliance artistically expresses herself through fabric design. She started making her own clothes around fifth grade because nothing fit her quite right. Through college, she made every piece of clothing she wore, from Halloween costumes, purses, everyday clothes, and embroidery.

“My inspiration comes from the ‘50s,”  Yackle-Kay said. “I go back through historical books to find styles I like. I must have two or three thousand patterns.”

Kay is an avid photographer. 

“I find my inspiration through the lens,” he said. “I started taking pictures in the seventh grade with a little Instamatic. Now I use all digital, and I love the digital world.”

Among other community efforts, the Battle Ground Art Alliance donates a $500 scholarship to an art student at Clark College every year. The money initially goes to the general scholarship fund where professors then select a student after viewing submitted portfolios.

Yackle-Kay hopes to have a larger scholarship available one day if they have more funding.

{{tncms-inline content="<p class="p1">If you would like to join the Battle Ground Art Alliance, visit their website: bgartalliance.com.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">As a member of the Battle Ground Art Alliance, you receive information on various art shows and events. The Battle Ground Art Alliance has quarterly meetings open to anyone who would like to attend every January, April, August, and October at the Battle Ground Public Library. In these meetings, there is a guest artist who will give a speech before the group discusses upcoming events. At the end of the meeting, artists share with each other what they have been working on to spark inspiration. </p>" id="36dac352-5858-4a66-ac2c-11ed7c1974a9" style-type="info" title="Join the alliance" type="relcontent"}}

“I would love to expand that program to two students, or one student for the whole semester,”  she said. 

In the past, there have been two art venues open in Battle Ground, however, because of lack of sales, they had to close. 

“My dream that I know is out of reach would be to buy an art venue in Battle Ground,” Yackle-Kay said. “I would love to have rotating art though it and provide space for up and coming artists, somewhere to hold classes, an art center for Battle Ground.” 

{{tncms-inline content="<p class="p1">First fill out the paperwork:  bgartalliance.com/spring-show</p> <p class="p2">You must fill out an entry form for each piece of artwork. There is a $30 dollar submission fee for the first piece of artwork and $5 dollar fee for each additional piece.</p> <p class="p2">Bring your submission and the paperwork to the Battle Ground Community Center (912 E Main St., Battle Ground) on March 14 from 4 – 8 p.m. </p> <p class="p2">Artists can pick up their work after the last day of the show between 3:15 – 4 p.m., Sunday, March 17. </p> <p class="p2">More information: bgartalliance.com </p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p1"><strong>Categories </strong></p> <p class="p2">• Best of Show</p> <p class="p2">• People’s Choice</p> <p class="p2">• Best Interpretation of Theme</p> <p class="p2">• 2D (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards) </p> <p class="p2">• 3D (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards)</p>" id="2f2744d0-48c2-49c1-90b1-1d5913c62f6c" style-type="info" title="How to enter the 2019 Spring Art Show" type="relcontent"}}