You’re invited to the 2017 JAY Awards & Retro Christmas Party on Tuesday, December 5th at 7 pm at the 701 Whaley Market Space. In addition to awarding four prizes for Jasper Artist of the Year in Theatre, Visual Arts, Literature, and Music, we have a full night of fun and celebration planned including a Living Christmas Tree Contest sponsored by Kristian Niemi of Bourbon Columbia, Christmas Caroling with Those Lavender Whales, a silent auction of original Christmas ornaments donated by local artists, traditional holiday tales with a twist from our literary arts JAY finalists, the launch of Columbia Colors the Arts – A Coloring Book for All Ages, a pop-up art show and auction by Thomas Washington, a family-type photo booth sponsored by Ashleigh Ward, and holiday snacks from Chef Joe Turkaly.
Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door and are available at https://2017jays.bpt.me.
A holiday fun pack is available guaranteeing recipients copies of the limited edition Columbia Colors the Arts and more.
This is the sixth year Jasper Magazine has sponsored the JAY awards with nominees of artists who have enjoyed particularly productive years coming from the community and finalists being voted on in an online poll at jasperproject.org. This year’s finalists include in Music – Those Lavender Whales, Matthew Tyler, and Fat Rat da Czar; in Literature – Nicola Waldron, Al Black, and Don McCallister; in Visual Arts – Cedric Umoja, Nicole Kallenberg Heere, and Sean Rayford; and in Theatre – Christopher Cockrell, Mandy Applegate Bloom, and Bakari Lebby. Vote for your JAY choices at http://jasperproject.org/jays.
Artists contributing to Columbia Colors the Arts – A Coloring Book for All Ages, Columbia’s first ever all-ages coloring book, include Laurie Brownell McIntosh, Heidi Darr-Hope, Alexandra White, Dogon Krigga, Michael Krajewski, Thomas Washington, Sean McGuiness, Cedric Umoja, and more. A limited number of books will be available for purchase at the event with additional copies available online at JasperProject.org.
Original Christmas ornaments are being created and donated by Columbia-based artists including Stephen Chesley, Toni Elkins, Matthew Kramer, Susan Lenz, Barbie Mathis, B.A. Hohman, Ty Davis, Laura Hine, Bohumila Augustinova, Barry Wheeler, Diane Hare, and more.
Attendees interested in competing in the Living Christmas Tree Contest should register on-site between 6:30 and 7:30. Judging will take place after the awarding of the JAYs.
The 2017 Jasper Artist of the Year Awards are sponsored by William Schmidt and Roe Young of Roe Young State Farm Insurance Agency.