With the aim of raising awareness in the run-up to World Parkinson’s Day, advocacy group PD Avengers is running the SparkArt competition again this year. Since the beginning of the year, it has run a monthly competition for original, unpublished artworks, with two winners picked each month and having their SparkArt featured on items in the PD Avengers’ World Parkinson’s Day Swag Shop – as well as receiving a complimentary piece of ‘swag’. As the last contest takes place in March, there’s still time to submit your artwork – scroll down to see how to enter.
In the meantime, we spoke to PD Avengers’ president and co-founder Larry Gifford to find out more.
What is the purpose of the SparkArt competition?
The purpose of SparkArt is to ignite creativity, foster artistic expression and make a positive impact. Through this initiative, artists of all levels are encouraged to showcase their creativity, unleash their imagination, create meaningful artwork and share their talents with others.
In this way, SparkArt brings together a diverse community of artists and art enthusiasts, fostering connections, collaboration and camaraderie. Overall, SparkArt seeks to spark joy, spark inspiration and spark change through the universal language of art.
This year, we’d like to say a special thanks to Abbott for supporting the patient initiative and helping to celebrate the winners.
Have you had a good response to the competition this year?
We have had a terrific response thus far. Dozens and dozens of submissions have been submitted. As a global organisation we receive entries from Germany, Spain, Japan and Nigeria.
Who won the January competition and what was so special about those entries?
There were two winners in January. Steve Williams’ artwork saw the Spark filled with symptoms of Parkinson’s. Ultimately, a Parkinson’s spark designed with the symptoms of the disease carries profound meaning, serving as a reminder of the complexities and realities of living with Parkinson’s while also highlighting the resilience and hope within the community.
The second winner was Paqui Ruiz of Con P de Parkinson. In her work, Paqui used watercolours to create a colourful and rustic yellow, purple and blue spark with the colours bleeding into each other. To me, this image is inviting you to embrace the colourful chaos of creativity, allowing you to explore the intersections of your thoughts and feelings to spark something truly unique and beautiful.
Why should people enter?
I can think of four reasons:
- Self-expression with a twist: SparkArt isn’t just about expressing yourself; it’s like wearing a neon-coloured, polka-dotted onesie to a formal dinner party – it’s all about standing out and having fun doing it!
- Stress relief, Bob Ross-style: Picture yourself painting while channelling your inner Bob Ross. It’s like giving your stress the paintbrush treatment and turning it into a masterpiece of tranquillity.
- Personal growth, cartoon edition: Imagine growing as an artist the way cartoon characters evolve throughout a series – starting as a doodle and ending up as a full-blown, three-dimensional character with unexpected plot twists and lots of character development along the way.
- Creative problem-solving, MacGyver-approved: Engaging in SparkArt is like being the MacGyver of creativity – turning everyday objects into art supplies, improvising solutions to artistic challenges, and saving the day with nothing but a glue stick and a dream.
So, jump into the world of SparkArt and embrace the silliness – it’s like adding an extra splash of confetti to life’s canvas.
What do winners receive?
Winning Sparks will be put on mugs, note cards and posters. The PD Avengers will make sure the winners get their choice for free!
How to enter the SparkArt Contest
Download the SparkArt template from the PD Avengers website, where you can also view other entries and check out the rules.
Complete your entry, then either upload it to a social media platform (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or TikTok), using the hashtag #SparkArt #PDAvengers or #Abbott, or email it to PD Avengers directly at [email protected]. Or you can post entries to PD Avengers 2593 Grant Street, Vancouver, BC Canada V5K 3G6.
