"Look Ma No Doll Stand"

Get ready for AFIC 2011 Challenge   Look Ma No Doll Stand!
RULES	Above- 2009 -1st Place Winners - It's My Hang Up

This year’s challenge rules "Look Ma No Doll Stand" 

This year’s challenge is designed to remove the doll from the traditional Doll stand! Here is the challenge. All the Dolls must be free standing without the traditional doll stand.  You can mount them on a bowling ball if you can figure out how to do it without the sight if a traditional doll stand or the sight of any device holding it up.  Put those thinking caps on, read the rules of cans and can not’s and start creating!

1. Can Not's:  The base of the doll can not exceed 8 x 8  inches. It can not be sitting or laying if it is just plopped down., like a rag doll or a doll in a chair, that is just plain cheating.  If sitting or laying it must be posed like that with no alternative position. Can not be sitting in a chair unless you make the chair or drastically alter the purchased chair, just buy buying a chair and painting it is not in the spirit of the challenge.  Can not be on a traditional doll stand.  Can not be hanging from a traditional stand.  Can not be a doll that hangs on the wall.  Can not see an obstacle going up the back of the doll holding it up like a traditional dolls stand does.

2. Cans:  Can be mounted on a base that you find or make. Can be standing, flying, upside down, floating, running, in a sitting position or laying position or in any type of activity.  Can be abstract work with abstract base and/or mounting for the base.  Can be cocooned within a structure.  Can be on a found object as long as the object has been altered in someway by you like painted or collaged. Can have a inner structure that is attached to a base as long as the sight of any such device can not be seen.

3. 50% of the work must be made of cloth.

4. Dolls must represent a human, anthropoid or abstract representation of human.

5. All entries must be the work of the exhibitor. 

6. You may use a pattern as long as you note the designer on the identification tag when checking in.

7. There are two categories, Original Designs and Doll patterns/adaptations.

8. Only one entry is permitted per person..

9. There is a $5.00 entry fee.  Checks or money orders should be made payable to Cyndy’s Dolls, LLC. This is to help cover the prize money awarded to the winners.  DO NOT PRE-PAY FEE  The fee is paid when you check  in

9. All props must be attached.  If not attached we cannot be responsible for loss of props.

10. Dolls may be carried in by exhibitor or exhibitor’s friend on April 28,2011. 

11. All dolls must be picked up between 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM Sunday, May 1, 2011.  We cannot be responsible for dolls left after 5:30PM.

12. This contest is open to Qualified Novices.  For this purpose, a novice will be defined as a person who makes cloth figures and dolls for a hobby or craft and makes less than $5,000.00 a year selling their craft.

13.  What are you waiting for?  Go grab some fabric and begin to create! 

Judging

Two Categories: Original Design and Doll patterns/adaptations

Judging is based on originality, workmanship, overall visual impact.

Ribbons awarded for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place and Peoples Choice.

Cash prize * 1st $50.00, *  2nd $30.00 and *  3rd $20.00

 What was the inspiration behind the Challenge?

     Every other year I have to come up with new ideas and one of them is the Challenge.  There are always two thoughts that I ponder when creating a challenge.  Appealing to everyone’s artistic nature, allowing the artist the freedom to create what is within themselves. Second, how the art exhibit is received by the public.

     First the Challengers:  How to create a challenge open enough to appeal to the artist, yet really make it a challenge.  I like to make the challenge more of a construction challenge than a theme challenge. This allows everyone to follow their own path, working in the colors, themes and styles in which they excel.  Since the challenge is a constructional challenge this frees you up to create that sculpture that has been in your head, without having to follow a theme.  You only need to solve the one puzzle and this years puzzle is a challenge indeed.

     Second: The presentation!  Why would I care?  Part of my passion has always been to introduce your work to the outsiders.  This year I thought it might be nice to remove all doll stands. Free standing sculpture art work on exhibit. So it was done!  Look Ma no doll stand!  Have fun.  I can’t wait to see the results.