Crowd watching Tacoma Art Museum's 2007 Iron Artist Competition. Image courtesy TAM.

It's back--the Iron Artist Competition at Tacoma Art Museum. If you were there last year, you'll remember the thrill, the glue spills, the drama as a collection of brave local artists attempted to create a work of art in just one hour, using identical materials unknown until the start of the competition. Apparently last year's competition was so successful (folks lined the mezzanine balcony to get a good view) that TAM is holding it again this year. The event begins at 6 p.m. this Friday, as part of both the museum's free Midsummer Night's Community Festival and the wider Showcase Tacoma festival, a free, mostly-outside arts-based festival in the UWT district this Friday and Saturday.

But back to Iron Artist. The idea is based, of course, on the Iron Chef TV competitions, and looks to be an annual event.

"It was greatly successful this year," said TAM spokesperson Alyssa Rosso. " We had a lot of people ask us if we were going to do it again this year. And as Showcase Tacoma happens every year, wouldn't it be great if our contribution to that was the Iron Artist Competition? So we said, why not?"

Last year the theme was Glitter, Glisten and Gleam, to coincide with a then-current exhibition: materials included sparkly things like bubble wrap, foil, shiny threads and egg cartons. Creations by artists like Lynn di Nino, Sue Pivetta et al and their teams ranged from the whimsical to the seriously abstract.

Here's Lynn with her team, the Iron Maidens (Jori Adkins and Francesca Siena.)

Francesca Siena, Lynn di Nino and Jori Adkins work hard on their Iron Artist project. Image courtesy Tacoma Art Museum.

And here's a YouTube video of the event.

This year, say the TAM folks, the Midsummer Festival's theme of Renaissance might play a part. The 15 artist teams--who include some of last year's challengers, plus newcomers like chalk art diva Andrea Trenbeath Lowen--need to be willing to, in the words of the TAM application, "work quickly, work well, work under pressure, explain the artwork in an attempt to gain votes and be a good sport." TAM provides live commentary as the artworks progress, and at the end, public votes (that means YOU!) decide the three place-winners, who'll get museum memberships and a medal, with the first-place winner getting a cash prize as well.

In addition to the Iron Artist Competition, TAM's festival will include a DJ, live performances by Shakespeare in the Parking Lot at 5:15 p.m. and hip-hop troupe D.A.S.H. at 6:15 p.m., as well as current exhibitions like The Saint John's Bible.

Tacoma Art Museum is located at 1701 Pacific Ave, Tacoma. The Midsummer Festival runs 5-8 p.m. Friday August 8, and is free. Information: 253-272-4258, www.tacomaartmuseum.org.
Showcase Tacoma is an annual arts festival in downtown Tacoma organized by Metro Parks, the City of Tacoma and Tacoma School of the Arts. Free outdoor and indoor arts events run from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on August 8 and 9 between Tollefson Plaza and the University of Washington, Tacoma, and at the art museums. Information: www.showcasetacoma.org