On the last Friday of each month, the Final Friday team hosts live music in Barton County’s only consumption district, located between Main Street and Williams Street in downtown Great Bend. On Friday, June 24, Barton Arts Movement (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. 

Twenty 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 prior to June 15 to be considered. From there, volunteers will select 20 of the entries to be showcased during “Art Alley” on June 24 and those artists will be notified. Canvases to be displayed must be delivered to the Golden Belt Community Foundation office, 1307 Williams St., Great Bend, no later than June 20. 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 can either contribute their canvas to be displayed in a public exhibition somewhere in Barton County (location TBD), or they can request to take the canvas back after “Art Alley” is over. 

Submit art entry at https://forms.gle/CMYHMriK7fQSvpseA

Deadline for form submissions is June 15. Selected artists must deliver their canvas on June 20.

BAM is driven by volunteers and operates under the fiscal sponsorship of the Golden Belt Community Foundation. Learn more about their work at www.BartonArtsMovement.com.