Art vs. Art, a painting competition with a twist, invites Hammond area artists to compete for a $3,000 winner-take-all grand prize. They'll have four hours to paint using supplied materials.

The Chicago/Northwest Indiana Paint Day will take place from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Harris Bank Building, 5243 Hohman Ave. in Hammond.

Competing artists have four hours to paint using identical provided materials. Hammond area artists can pre-register at www.artvsart.com. The entry fee is $10, payable by cash or check at the Paint Day event.

To help run the regional Paint Day, Primary Colours is teaming with Tom Torluemke and Linda Dorman of Uncle Freddy's Gallery and Hammond Development Corporation.

"Last year, we expanded the event outside Indianapolis to three regional cities," said Primary Colours board member Hugh Vandivier, "and this year we wanted to include the Region. We hope local artists find this event challenging and fun."

Paintings are photographed and posted online at www.artvsart.com where site visitors vote for their favorites.

The winner of the Hammond online voting earns an automatic spot in the top 32 paintings, which will vie for a shot at the title at the main event held Sept. 26 at the Vogue Theatre, 6259 N. College Ave. in Indianapolis.

Final judging at the Main Event involves four rounds of head-to-head competition. Two randomly selected paintings square off on stage as the audience cheers for its favorite. The applause meter sends the winner to the next round; the losing painting faces the threat of destruction on the spot (by chainsaw, acid bath, samurai sword, etc.) as determined by a spin of the ominous "Wheel of Death."

Audience members also have the power to save a painting from its impending doom by bidding on it. Minimum bids increase with each round. Artists take home 70 percent of the amount their paintings fetch at auction or sale during the event. The last painting standing is crowned the Art vs. Art 2008 champion and wins the check for $3,000, the title belt and bragging rights.

Last year, 124 artists competed in the event, and some 2,600 votes were cast in online voting.

Primary Colours (www.primarycolours.org) is an Indianapolis-based nonprofit arts organization that facilitates interaction between visual artists and the community.

- THE TIMES