Deadline to apply: February 10th, 2026

We are seeking 14 artists for our upcoming third annual fundraising event, The Showdown on Friday March 27, 2026 from 6-10pm at The Freefolk Brewery in Hico, WV. The goal of this event is to bring folks together for a fun evening while supporting Love Hope Arts, Fayetteville's community art center. This will be an exciting event with vendors, music, live painting & an auction!

Love Hope Center for the Arts is a 501c3 nonprofit arts organization located in the heart of the New River Gorge. Our mission is to fuel artistic passion in West Virginia through community-driven art programs, nurturing local talent, and fostering connections that embody love, hope, and cultural richness in our vibrant Appalachian home.

Please respond by filling out this Jotform if you are interested in participating. We can't wait to see all the art that is created from this year's event!

Event format:
The Showdown is a multi-round competition, with painters working in front of an audience to create their masterpiece, and attendees will vote on their favorite work to determine who advances from round to round. Each round will last 40 minutes.

Round 1 (which will include painters 1-7) approximately 6:00-6:40pm.
Round 2 (which will include painters 8-14) approximately 7:00-7:40pm.
The top 2 artists from each round will advance onto finals as voted on by the attendees.
Final round (featuring the last 4 remaining artists) approximately 8:00-8:40.

Paintings created during the event will be up for auction for 1 month after the event. Artists agree to a 50/50 split of the purchase price with Love Hope Arts. The buyout price (the price that allows a bidder to immediately purchase an item the night of the event) for all artwork is set at $400. The minimum bid for a painting is $40.

Perks of being an artist at The Showdown:

1st place cash prize $200
Free admission to an awesome live painting community event!
50/50 split of sale price on paintings created during the event

Event Rules:
1. Artists must use the 18x24 inch blank canvas provided at the event
2. Artists have 40 minutes in each round to create their artwork
3. Artists are encouraged to bring their own mediums and tools. A limited set of acrylic paint will be provided by Love Hope Arts. Artists are encouraged (but not required) to bring outside medium — Allowed mediums include: acrylic paint, ink, oil paint, charcoal, pen, pencil, watercolor, and more. Love Hope Arts will supply canvas, a limited set of paints, water containers, paper towels, plates for mixing & cloth towels. Water based aerosol, airbrush, and oils with solvent are not permitted.
4. The use of reference images are permitted, but not required.
5. Stencils are not permitted unless made during competition time.
6. The attendees at the fundraiser will vote for their favorite artwork in each round and the winner(s) will advance to further rounds

We look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to reach out if you have any additional questions! admin@lovehopearts.org 304-900-0029