I.O. Metro art contest draws more than 2,000 entries - 2011-08-...
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I.O. Metro art contest draws more than 2,000 entries By Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, August 26, 2011 LOWELL, Ark. — I.O. Metro has wrapped up an art contest that drew more than 2,000 photography and original art entries and will lead to 25 pieces being reproduced and sold in its stores. The youthful, midpriced home furnishings retailer with 20 stores in Midwestern and Southern states promoted the contest through the e-blasts to customers, flyers in its stores and on Facebook and Twitter. Artists were encouraged to post photos of their entries on Facebook and could enter as many pieces as they wanted. Amber Langston, director of marketing for the Lowell, Ark.-based company, estimated that between 500 and 750 artists entered. "It's our way of supporting local artists while diversifying our art offering," I.O. Metro CEO Jay Howard said in a release. "We were looking for something different and A photograph by Leah Thomas of St. fresh. We were thrilled with the huge response we received, and the selection Louis is one of 25 winners of an I.O. process was not easy." Metro art contest. The Lowell, Ark.-based The retailer's product development team sorted though entries from Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri and Oklahoma and selected the 25 winning pieces that "they felt were a representation of what customers have come to expect from I.O. Metro - pieces that are different and complement any style," the retailer said.
retailer will reproduce and sell the artwork in its stores, giving 10% of the sales to the winning artists. Thomas is a self-taught photographer who works as an insurance underwriter.
Among the winners is Kellie Clements of Edmond, Okla., a current contestant on the "HGTV Design Star" reality competition show. Clements used to work at the I.O Metro store in Edmond and now operates her own interior design firm. "She is a very talented artist and we were so very excited when she decided to enter," Langston said. "There are so many artists that spend their entire career trying to break into the marketplace," Clements said in the release. "This art contest is a huge deal for artists like myself, who don't have the time or resources to push their work mainstream. I am so grateful for this opportunity." The reproductions will feature the artist's signature, bio and photo and will be available in I.O. Metro locations in 60 to 90 days. Langston estimated that the artwork will sell for between $200 and $500, with the artists receiving 10% of the net revenues from the sales of their pieces.
Sean Shrum of Jonesboro, Ark., entered the I.O. Metro contest with this winning piece. He has been creating art his whole life and owns a Jonesboro gallery.
She said the contest was so well received that I.O. Metro will be doing it again. « Back | Print © 2011 Sandow Media LLC. All rights reserved.
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