Walla Walla artist advances to group final in national People's Artist contest
Public votes advanced Walla Walla artist and organizer Anthony Covert to the group final stage of the Johnny Depp Presents The People's Artist, a competition with a cash prize open to artists in U.S. and Canada.
The winner - whittled down from a pool of about 400 artists - will receive a $25,000 honorarium, an exhibit at the Art of Elysium's Art Salon in Los Angeles, and a feature in Artforum Magazine.
"I'm super excited, I'm just that much closer," Covert said.
Covert is an acrylic painter who has also incorporated oil paint, airbrush and 3D elements into his artwork "just to experiment," he said.
His artwork is Afrocentric, centering African history, culture and perspectives. He also enjoys impressionist styles, thinking about painting as "making it my own," he said, rather than focusing on hyperrealism.
"In my paintings you'll see women in headwraps, vibrant colors, African symbols and the meaning behind them," he said.
Painting is both a creative and emotional outlet for Covert.
"It's what helped me through my time in prison," he said. "It gave me a creative outlet. Because of that outlet, I was able to stay focused in a lot of ways."
His vision for the $25,000 is to get a new youth arts organization off the ground here in Walla Walla. Artistic Confidence is a project he started as an LLC but wants to reconfigure as a not-for-profit.
"Art helped me find language for pain, power and freedom. I want to give young people that same doorway, a place to create, heal, be seen and believe their lives are worth shaping," he said in a statement on his contest page.
"I want to create a space for young people to not only grow their art but grow their confidence," he told the U-B.
Covert has held the second-place spot among a group of 87 artists through several rounds of voting. The group final round started Thursday, June 4, and voting will continue until 7 p.m. Thursday, June 11.
The top artist from each of four groups will advance to the quarterfinals, according to contest rules. The second-place artist in each group will compete in a shortened voting round for a chance to advance to the quarterfinals.
Voting rounds will continue weekly through July 9, and the winning artist will be announced by Aug. 6.
Members of the public get one free vote per day.
Additional votes can be cast with a donation - $25 for 25 votes, for example - supporting Art of Elysium, an LA-based organization that pairs volunteer artists with hospitals, community centers, senior care facilities, schools and homeless shelters to lead art programs. The organization is a partner in the contest and will host an exhibit for the winner.
"It goes back to an organization that is doing work in communities," Covert said of donations for votes. "It's not just going somewhere aimlessly."
"I feel like I am the People's Artist," he continued. "But even if I don't win, it's dope to see that I'm in second place. I've gotten to see amazing people with amazing art … and bring some light to our state."
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