Salad Bowl America, a cultural magazine and foundation, organized an “Art Battle” competition on Sunday, Aug. 16 at the Valle De Luna Event Center, consisting entirely of local artists, with six of them participating in one round and another six participating in the second round. Three winners were chosen from each round to compete in the final, from which a single victor was chosen.
In contrast to a standard art showcase, this competition decided to be more colorful. The battle had contestants paint on stage in front of bidders, rather than painting prior to the event. The competition also gave artists 15 minutes to set up and 20 minutes to paint.
The contest featured live music, food trucks and local artists painting live on stage. Each artist had their own style; where one specialized in abstract portraiture, another would paint landscapes with expressive brushwork.
“We’re showing it, we’re showing their thought process and how they do it and I think we appreciate it more,” Bryant Johnson, creative director and owner of Salad Bowl America, said when asked about the competition’s format. “I think people like to see how the sausage is made.”
Muralist and host of the event, Juliana Chavez, who also goes by the name Little Lady Wolf, has painted murals all over the city, including a mural on Fourth Street between Central and Gold Avenue in downtown.
“I feel like we’ve made history tonight because we’ve never had this here before,” Chavez said of the event.
There can only be one winner of the Art Battle, and local artist Antoinette Tafoya took the crown on Sunday. She said that Art Battle has helped her career, though on a more personal level than just exposure or experience.
“Even though it’s not in my comfort level and I was getting really, like, anxiety like leading up to it, I feel like it’s awesome to share it a little bit more and kind of get it out more,” Tafoya said.
Tafoya painted two landscapes, with one selling for $75 and the winning piece selling for $85, winning her the $300 prize.
Salad Bowl America is looking to do five more Art Battle events in Albuquerque, with the next one being in November.
Max Ulz is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @Dailylobo
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