Super Art Fight started in 2008 with an event at the Ottobar. I actually wound up attending this event by shear luck, as I was making my way to the Ottobar to see MC Chris (there was actually a little bit of unfortunate controversy with this show which you can read about here in the City Paper). In between sets, the group I went with (better known today as the Epic Gentleman's Society) went upstairs to check out what this art fight was all about. And am I glad we did.
Quite a number of people were gathering around the canvases that were sitting against the far wall. As everyone got closer, shapes started forming, and you found yourself staring at one of the most random, eclectic, amazingly fun pieces of art you have ever seen. Index cards were being drawn every few minutes it seemed. On the index cards were suggestions for drawings by the audience. One I clearly remember was “Abraham Lincoln leading an army of pirate babies!” Yes you read that correctly. And so it was the next artists turn to fire back with army of pirate babies lead by good ol' Abe (which was pretty hysterical, and looked amazing). This continued throughout the night until all of the canvases had zero space left to draw on, and then the first art fight winner was crowned. Two years later, SAF has evolved on many levels. They’ve changed their index cards to a random word generating 3D head (The Wheel of Death), received crazier and more hilarious suggestions to feed the wheel, and added live music, comedy, and commentary to produce a well oiled show with tons of personality. And with all of that, their audience has increased as well, from a few people in Baltimore, to large crowds across the country. They even have a fan base starting across seas!
SAF just returned home to Baltimore from their biggest and best show yet, which was held in Hartford, CT. They performed at last year’s Conneticon, and wound up filling their small room with so many people that the fire marshals showed up. This year they were asked back as a main event, and had over 2,000 people fill the room to witness "The Greatest Live Art Competition in the Known Universe."
I strongly urge you to come out this weekend to Artscape, where you can witness the awesome for yourself. Super Art Fight 7 will be happening at The Metro Gallery, this Saturday night (July 17th), at 7pm. And trust me, if there was a show to be at, this is it. SAF is calling upon all of their veterans to put on what could possibly be the best art fight in known history. There are 4 fights on the card for the night, including Jamie Baldwin defending her championship against Nick Borkowicz. And if that wasn't enough to whet your appetite, the show this weekend is FREE.If you are interested in getting involved, there is still time! SAF is always taking suggestions for The Wheel of Death! Go here to feed the wheel. Also, you can score a piece of history as the art is usually auctioned off throughout the show.
So please come hang out with us and the SAF crew this weekend at Artscape/The Metro Gallery. If you've been to an event before, you know you will never see the same thing twice. If this is your first time, buckle your seat belts and prepare to be a fan for life. SAF is a group of incredibly nice and talented people, whose goal is simply to have fun. It's rare to find a group who takes an idea from something they love, follow through, run with it, and turn it into a very successful, fun, unique, unstoppable entertaining show. It's guaranteed to be a blast!
There are a ton of ways to stay connected with SAF as well, and here are the links to do so.
http://www.superartfight.com/
Youtube
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