Ready, Set, Snip

While there are more art and design competitions than you can shake a mouse or paint brush at, there's nothing quite like the Red Bull Art of Can. The juried show, which traces its origins back to 2000, is open to entries in both traditional and digital media, as long as they are in some way "inspired by Red Bull or crafted from the iconic blue and silver cans" (isn't it time we gave the word iconic a rest?).
You've got until April 6 to get your masterpiece in the hands of the show organizers, with this year 35 to 40 of the top picks being displayed in a Houston gallery. The first place winner will snag a trip for two to Art Basel Switzerland, with the second place choice settling for the only slightly less exotic Art Basel Miami. Third place gets to visit Art Basel Des Moines. Just kidding, that lucky pup will apparently "be honored with a customized local art experience."
As always, a few of the entries will be used in Red Bull marketing pieces, not surprising when you consider some of the past creations, such as a glowing six-foot-tall beehive complete with a colony of swarming bees or a life-size knight in shining armor. Both constructed out of an unholy number of Red Bull cans, of course.
If you're not up for consuming enough energy drink to generate the raw material for an entry, you should at least visit the Red Bull Art of Can site. If the show sounds wacky, the site impresses with its tasteful design, which includes a masterful use of interactive Flash to display entries from past years.




