Downtown flower box contest to help herald arrival of spring

Spring is in the air, which means more feet on the sidewalks, which will certainly be true of downtown Greencastle now that many of the projects created by the Stellar Grant are finishing up.

It also means that the Farmer's Market will open soon, and graduation weekends for both DePauw and Greencastle Schools will be around the corner.

To keep the spring feeling alive, Main Street Greencastle is hosting a contest and calling for participants to "occupy" downtown. Storefronts, that is.

"We want something that will liven up some of the empty storefronts we have," Rita Schendel said. "It's very easy to participate and completely open to anyone. Visual artists, designers, illustrators, and DIY enthusiasts are invited to complete a flower box to help celebrate the arrival of spring and liven up the downtown windows."

The boxes submitted will be placed in storefronts downtown that are currently unoccupied.

"Downtown is the book cover when people are walking or driving through Greencastle," Main Street's Christian Shuck added. "While people are out, we want to make our storefronts interesting and inviting. Who knows, maybe it will draw the attention of someone looking for new business space."

The boxes will be displayed the week of May 11-18, coinciding with several events in Greencastle. Entries must be submitted no later than May 5 and can be dropped off or mailed to the Putnam County Partnership Center.

The contest guidelines are:

-- Entry fee of $5 or three entries/$10 for submissions to be entered into the judging competition. You may submit a maximum of three entries. If you do not want to be entered in the competition, there is no entry fee.

-- This is an up-cycle, recycle, repurpose project that all artwork is on cardboard boxes. The box must be able to stand by itself on one of its sides. If the box has a lid, it must be secure. For example, if a shoebox is used, the lid must be glued on so it cannot separate from the box.

-- The theme is "Flower Box" and entries will be judged on the creativity of the theme.

-- Artists can glue on paper or cutouts on the cardboard box; with a maximum of half-inch from the base of the cardboard. For example, watercolor artists can glue on watercolor paper, photographers can glue on photos or mixed media artists could do cutouts. Just as a reminder, cardboard is like any other paint support. It needs to be primed, painted and then sealed.

-- The box is to be painted and sealed on all sides, but only one side will be judged. To make this easier for the judges and the display team, participants are asked to only have artwork on one side of the box.

-- The smallest side of the box needs to be at least five inches. There is not a maximum size requirement except the box must be easily transported by the display team and fit through a doorway.

-- This is an all-age, all-skill level exhibition.

For more information on how to submit an entry, visit mainstreetgc.blogspot.com to download a registration form, or email Rita Schendel at rschende@yahoo.com.