Art @ Work

I'm entering a local contest called Art @ Work. It's a contest for employees of some bigger KC companies who are artists on the side but enjoy having a steady, decent-paying job, than be starving artists. I love this concept because I'm always feeling like people judge me based on "what I do" for a living, yet my day job does not define who I really am. My whole life I've had my older brother to look up to when it comes to the whole starving artist scenario. I think he actually likes being a starving artist. ;o) But like me, he'll never stop trying and will never stop making art. But, I know how important having benefits are. He's always challenging himself & trying new things with his art and I admire that. Yet, I don't want to starve while I do those same things with my own art. Maybe this is why I don't think he's ever really seen me as a "true" artist.

Anyway, back to the contest. This May there will be a preliminary internal show here in our firm's Downtown office. There are 6 categories: Fiber Art, Photography/2D Digital Media, 3D Art, Painting, Drawing/Etching/Illustration, and Mixed Media. You all can probably guess which category I'll be entering. ;o) I do have some 3D stuff that I'd like to enter but I'm not sure if we can enter more than one category. There are 21 or so people on the list here in my office that will be entering something into these 6 categories. Then, the judging will begin by fellow co-workers (attorneys, paralegals, secretaries, staff) for 1st, 2nd & 3rd in each category.

Then the cool part comes where the 6 1st place "People's Choice" winners will go on to be in a show at Union Station's Grand Hall where a jury of local arts professionals/leaders will select a single "Best of Show" within each category. And even cooler, all 6 of those Best of Show winners will appear in the American Century investments tent at the Plaza Arts Fair in September!

I have it narrowed down in my head to 2 different photos I'm considering entering. And whatever I decide on, I'll blow it up nice & big, mat it & frame it to make a pronounced statement. I'm hoping I'll have an edge w/ the actual gallery aspect of presenting my work since I've done it before in art school. But, I'd like to take a poll from you all of which you think would do the best, artistically & technically speaking. Keep in mind the first judging will be by my co-workers so they'll probably be looking for whatever is the most eye catching, whatever seems the most exotic or basically different to them. People really go for the unusual, the original. They won't look at it the same way the arts professionals/leaders will look at it. My co-workers I doubt will be reading in any deep meanings into my art like another artist would. I also know that viewing something on the computer screen probably won't evoke the same emotion as seeing it in say, poster size, right in front of you in a physical print. So, when looking at any favorites consider these aspects. Try to visualize with me! Which ones jump out at you and which ones "speak" to you (if any)? :o) If I'm not being too artsy fartsy for you...