With the Waukesha GuitarTown project returning in 2013, the steering committee is in search of artists to design the Gibson Les Paul guitars that will be unveiled later this year.
Like last year, the project, in partnership with Gibson Guitar Corporation, will feature 10-foot fiberglass guitars and regular standard size playable guitars that artists will decorate. Most of last year’s guitars honored the late Les Paul, a music icon who was born and is buried in Waukesha.
The public project is a way to celebrate the city’s art and music culture and pay tribute to Paul, known as the Wizard of Waukesha for his inventions in the music industry.
Its goal is to also raise money for charities. Last year the project raised $105,000: $45,000 to the Waukesha Public School District for new musical instruments and art supplies; $45,000 to the Les Paul exhibit at the Waukesha County Museum; $15,000 to the Waukesha Memorial Hospital to help fund the new Community Health Clinic.
The guitar sculptures are sponsored by local businesses and individuals.
Interested artists for Phase II must submit all materials to the Almont Gallery, with the label address Waukesha West End Artists: 342 W. Main St., Waukesha, WI 53186.
According to Waukesha’s GuitarTown website, all applicants must be 18 years or older and a Wisconsin resident.
Applications will be processed by a selection committee and artists will be reviewed and selected based on their proposal, work examples and résumé. Artists selected to provide artwork will be required to execute a contract for services approved by the selection committee.
Artists must provide contact information, four photos (4-inch by 6-inch) of current artwork, a detailed concept proposal with both visual (minimum front and back) and a written description of the concept, original materials and a self-addressed, postage paid mailer if artists want application materials returned (all application materials from selected artists will be retained by the selection committee until the project is completed).
Waukesha GuitarTown Steering Committee member Norm Bruce said the intention is to model last year’s event with the GuitarTown event coinciding with the first week of Friday Night Live in June in downtown Waukesha.
There were 30 guitars last year — 20 playable and 10, 10-foot tall sculpture guitars. Bruce said the number this year depends on the amount of sponsorships this year’s GuitarTown will have.
For questions on GuitarTown artists, contact Waukesha GuitarTown Steering committee member Lynn Gaffey at (262) 542-1522 or gaffey@gmail.com.
And for a closer look at Waukesha GuitarTown visit its website, www.waukeshaguitartown.com.