Who would have thought that Red Bull could give college kids more than just jitters and a good mixer for vodka? The beverage, however, was certainly profitable for the 31 finalists in the Red Bull Art of the Can Contest.
The competition sought to answer the question, "What will a full can of Red Bull inspire you to create out of an empty one?" Over 400 sculptures were crafted in response to that question, with the 31 finalists' sculptures being premiered in an exhibition yesterday at the Artists for Humanity Epicenter in Boston - and Tufts sophomore Talia Quandelacy's entry was one of them.
The simple tin medium was a muse for diverse and creative sculptures from two inches to fifteen feet tall. The latter, titled "Insomnia," was created by a Middlebury student, for whom the project consumed many late nights and over 200 Red Bull cans.
For Quandelacy, the Red Bull project was less an obsession and more just "something fun to work on for a couple of weekends." Quandelacy, a biology and community health double major, entered after being urged by another Tufts student and Red Bull sponsor.
"I definitely was not expecting anything to come of it," Quandelacy said. Her sculpture, "Butterfly Nectar," is based on her Native American roots, and it depicts a nature scene: butterflies on flower petals.
"It started out as dragonflies, which symbolize water, fertility, and life," Quandelacy said. "Originally I wanted to make a person clothed in the traditional style of my pueblo. But what I started out making turned into something completely different."
Quandelacy has been working with stones and clay since she was eight years old, mainly focusing on fetishes, which are miniature sculptures crafted from different types of stone. Her first time working with tin was "a lot harder than she expected it to be."
Even so, sculpting comes easily for Quandelacy. She grew up on an Indian reservation in Albuquerque, New Mexico, completely submerged in a family of artists. When she was little, she used to spend time in the large art studio on the reservation, where the artisans would let her play around and experiment with the various mediums.
With a mother who is an art sculptor and a father who is a jeweler, art is in Quandelacy's blood. "I grew up around art," she said. "It's also one of the main sources of income for the Zuni [my tribe]."
This is not the first time that Quandelacy has placed in a competition. Since high school, she has been winning contests, including the Heard Museum Native American student art competition. Also, she was named one of the top 10 promising young Native American artists of 2004 in "Native Peoples" magazine.
Quandelacy's work is shown at art shows including the Sante Fe Indian market - the largest Native American art show in the country - and the Heard Indian Art show in Arizona. Her work is also sold through private buyers, and at galleries and art shows across the country.
In terms of this contest, Quandelacy just views it as "one more little accomplishment." But in terms of her future artistic endeavors, she feels a need to pursue each of these "little accomplishments" to keep vibrant a tradition that has been in her family for generations.
The first such Red Bull Contest in the US, this competition was enacted as a follower to the company's enormously popular international contests, which have been held in 11 countries in the past seven years.
The contest was centered in Boston due to its reputation as "a culturally rich city with people from all walks of life," according to Elizabeth Ordenstein, coordinator of the contest.
The contest is unique in that "it offers a creative platform for anyone to take part, regardless of age or experience," Ordenstein said. The 31 finalists include people from ages 18 to 40, ranging from internationally exhibited artists to college students. Each sculpture was judged based on its creative concept (the idea behind the piece), its conceptual execution (how well the idea came through), and construction.
Quandelacy is still in the running to be one of the three winners of the contest, who will be announced next Saturday. The grand prizewinner will receive a trip for two to the 51st International Arts Exhibition in Venice, Italy.
Ordenstein has high hopes for the possibility of future contests.
"The amount of public embracing of the event is overwhelming," she said. "There's no doubt that with this amount of support, the contest will branch out across the country, giving a chance for the Red Bull can to stretch the minds of aspiring and professional artisans everywhere."
The exhibit's public opening night is tomorrow, Feb. 26, from 5 - 10 p.m. at the Artists for Humanity Epicenter, 100 West Second Street, Boston MA. The exhibit is open to the public, and admission is free. It will be displayed until March 6.
