Art of the Avocado back for Avocado Festival

FALLBROOK — Thanks to George and Gayle Bamber of Holy Guaca-Moly, the Fallbrook Avocado Festival will once again feature an art competition based on the avocado itself. This year, however, the contest has expanded and will include six additional prizes.

All interested participants are encouraged to create an avocado-themed work of art in any medium and submit it by Monday, April 7. Entrants should take their art to the Art Studios, 310 East Alvarado, and fill out an application form when they drop off their art entry.

Everyone is eligible to participate. Entries can be submitted in any artistic medium, including watercolor, oil, acrylic, photograph, clay, ceramic, collage, glass, jewelry, metalworking, textile, woodworking, charcoal, line drawing. The only restrictions are that the theme of the work be based on the avocado, that the viewer can actually “see” an avocado somewhere in the work and that the size and weight of the work be manageable for normal handling.

The Bambers have provided $600 in prizes for the top three entries: $300 for first place, $200 for second place and $100 for third place.

“I wanted to make prizes available to recognize artistic efforts,” said George Bamber. “I know personally how hard it is to make a living as an artist and I thought this would be one small way to recognize our local artisans.”

Six new award categories have been added, each one carrying a $50 prize. No single piece of art is eligible to win more than one prize.

Judging will take place on Friday, April 11, by a panel of six judges to be chosen at random from Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce members and volunteers from the community. Anyone interested in being a judge should contact the chamber.

Winning entries will be displayed at the Art Studios for the week prior to the Festival and at the Lace Apron Restaurant, 118 North Main Avenue, during the Avocado Festival on Sunday, April 20.

All 10 winning artists will be presented with their prizes at 3 p.m. during the Avocado Festival.