AMERICAN BAMBOO SOCIETY
2022 ART CONTEST
Calling Bamboo Artists
Adult Bamboo Art Competition
Bamboo Kids Art Competition
There are over 1700 known bamboo species to date. This grass is mainly temperate woody bamboos and tropical woody bamboos with a smaller number of herbaceous bamboos. The diversity that bamboos represent is only rivaled by the diversity of ways it can be used. This year our theme is highlighting the beauty and value of diversity. Bamboo is a plant of connection creating and nurturing relationships in the animal, plant, and human world. Art is a medium that can express the complexity of bamboo and the diversity of its potential. The art piece submittal should be a signed hard copy of the piece along with a written description about the artist and the piece. Please make all submittals 8×10 or larger. These pieces will be displayed during the American Bamboo Society’s Annual Conference taking place October 21-23 in Sebastian, FL. The pieces will be available for purchase and 75% of the proceeds will be sent to the artist. If you would like to participate in our postcard and greeting card sales please let us know. We will be selling cards showcasing bamboo art to the attendees. These submittals can be sent digitally. Deadlines for entry of all pieces is August 31st 2022.
We will contact the winner and invite them to give a presentation in person or online at the conference. An article featuring the winners will be published in the ABS quarterly magazine as well as highlighted on social media. We welcome all entries and look forward to seeing your interpretation of diversity in bamboo.
Bamboo is a plant with so much potential for changing the world. Our hope is to encourage young people to get involved in the bamboo community so as to inspire the next generation of designers and builders in a more sustainable way. This year we are focusing on the diverse ways that bamboos grow as well as the multitude of ways in which it can be used.
How does bamboo inspire you?
How do bamboos differ from each other?
What are some products you have seen made from bamboo?
How many different ways can bamboo be used?
We love our next generation and the creativity they bring to this forum. We will include a display of the art at the annual bamboo conference in October. We will also invite the winner to speak about the project either in person or online. The winners will be featured in our quarterly newsletter and on social media. We look forward to expanding our bamboo community and seeing what your interpretation of diversity is. Please send a digital copy of your 2D or 3D piece with a short video describing you and your idea.
The details
Adult Category
Please submit one signed hard copy of your piece minimum size 8″ x 10″ along with a short video description about you and your piece.
First place: $700
Second Place $400
Third Place $150
Fourth place $75
KIDS CATEGORY
Please submit a digital photo with a brief description of the concept or a short video. K-12. Winners will be displayed at the American Bamboo Society Annual Conference Oct 21-23 2022
First prize: $50
Second prize: $25
third prize: $15
MEET THE JUDGES
Cathryn Davis (aka Cathryn the Grateful) is a bamboo enthusiast, dancer, documentary filmmaker, producer and sacred activist. For the past six years she has served as the Executive Director of Enough Pie, a non-profit in Charleston SC that uses creativity to connect and empower the community. Cathryn began her career at The Charlie Rose Show in Manhattan and spent a decade in global marketing before returning to the Carolinas in 2012. She is the creator of the award-winning documentary film Fully Awake: Black Mountain College, leads weekly dance parties, and is a justice activist (joyfulrevolution.org) who strongly believes creativity has the power to transform. She founded and today leads A Living Temple, a non-denominational domestic temple based in Charleston that celebrates creation. Learn more at: www.cathrynthegrateful.com
Gerard Minakawa was born in New York City to Argentinian and Bolivian-Japanese immigrants and studied industrial design at the Rhode Island School of Design. He worked for several studios on both coasts as a product designer, started a bamboo-laminate furniture company and later relocated entirely to Bolivia, where he spent 3 years developing a sustainable handicraft economy with indigenous artisans in partnership with Aid to Artisans, a U.S.-based nonprofit. In 2007 he founded Bamboo DNA, a design/build company specializing in the creation and installation of architectural spaces inspired by the world’s most gigantic grass: Bamboo! Minakawa has taught at the Rhode Island School of Design and was named one of the Top 20 Innovative U.S. designers by I.D. Magazine. His works have been featured in numerous international books and publications including the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Metropolis and the New York Times.
Charissa Brock, who works and teaches out of her studio near Portland OR, has been making artwork with natural materials since 1994. She discovered bamboo as an art material in 1999 while earning her MFA at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, PA. Her work has been exhibited widely in the United States and is included in the Arizona State University Museum. American Style Magazine included an article about her in its April 2007 issue and she was featured on the cover of the Journal of Wealth Development.
Bamboo, fused glass, stone, and waxed linen thread are used to create Charissa’s one of a kind sculptures
CONTACT INFO
Please send all inquiries and submissions attn. Shanti Pierce bambooartcontest@gmail.com
Frequently asked
questions (faq)
Deadline for entries August 31st 2022.
You do not need to be a member of the ABS and we always encourage membership..
Yes please include a short video describing the concept of the piece and how diversity is expressed.
Architecture is art – we prefer art pieces and realize that building with bamboo is always a form of art. There are other forums for advocating bamboo architecture and so we hope to encourage less functional forms here.
There is no fee for entering.
We encourage a global participation.
