SOME PRODUCE AISLE HALLMARKS... seem readymade for a moment in the spotlight. An apple and a few bananas in the center of a painting can make for a fine and traditional bowl of fruit, while a satyr or nymph eating a bunch of grapes lends mythology-focused zing to a gallery-wall work. Artichokes, too, are oh-so-photographable (thank all of those lovely leaves), while plums, with their variegated lavender-to-purple skins, have a particular light-ready glow. As for a garlic bulb? Well, let's start with the fact that it is a bulb, as in bulbous, which suggests some interesting contents (spoiler alert: cloves). Already a painter or an illustrator has a lot to work with when it comes to the small, papery member of the Allium family. And artists have deftly shown garlic's many prismatic and pretty ways over the decades via the posters for the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival. These charming promotional materials have long been standouts on the food festival circuit, thanks to their whimsy, their cleverness, and their ability to depict a bulb or clove of garlic in such a panache-filled, appetite-stoking way. Are you a fan of the festival's long line-up of posters? Then best...
ENTER THE 2017 CONTEST... and see if your garlic-themed artwork is chosen as the new poster for the end-of-July gathering. There's a roster of rules to keep in mind as you work (the piece should be logo-free, for one), and the deadline is Friday, March 17. If you take first place, you'll win $500, so that's as sweet as a scoop of garlicky ice cream (which is actually sweet, save some after-burn to the tongue). Best make yourself some pasta or stew, throw a handful of chopped-up cloves in, and start daydreaming about how to best depict this kicky kitchen staple. How would you show a bulb of garlic the love, dear artists? Here's your chance to find out.
THE 39TH ANNUAL GILROY GARLIC FESTIVAL... heats it up from Friday, July 28 through Sunday, July 30, 2017.
